http://www.scottytownsend.com/european-snooker/
what things do you like and dislike in Cue sports??
I know you all play a lot of Pool and 9 ball and 8 ball is the most popular but I just wondering if you ever like or dislike anything about Pool. Although Snooker is number one in Europe, I hope Europeans will answer this question too….
Please explain your answer too….I mean why??
Thanks
Let’s go with “likes” first. Pool is a great equalizer. Historically, it’s been enjoyed by kings and the common man alike. It doesn’t matter what you look like, how old you are, or how much money you have in your pocket (sorry if I accidentally quoted “Poolhall Junkies” directly). People tend to respect the skill apart from the player. I like that pool is accessable to just about everybody. It doesn’t require obscenely expensive equipment and costly annual club dues to play pool. It’s not an elitist, exclusive sport. It’s a year round sport, so I don’t ever have to wait to play or travel to where I can. Pool doesn’t take up a lot of space, either in private homes or public venues, so it’s usually not a problem finding a table somewhere. I like the endless variety in pool. 9-ball couldn’t be any more different from 14.1 but they are both great games for completely different reasons. Furthermore, no two shots are indentical. Pool is great because the learning never stops. You can play your whole life and still not know everything about the game.
Now, to the “dislikes”. I dislike the negative image that is associated with the game. I dislike it even more that on many occasions, this stigma is actually warranted. I occasionally see some very poor representatives of the game when I’m out playing in public. It has nothing to do with appearance, either. I’m talking about rude, loud-mouthed, cocky, irritating players who give the game this bad name. I hate it when new players to the game are turned away by a bad experience or two from one of these “house champs”. A newer player isn’t aware of the rich world of pool outside of the local tavern, so they assume that the game must be filled with these characters and that’s the story that they tell other people thinking of taking up the game. I think that there is too much ego in pool. I think there are too many players who equate success in pool with being a success in life in general. A loss in pool to them, makes them a loser in their own mind. A missed shot or an error in judgement on the table somehow makes them a screw-up. These people are sometimes tolerable to be around when they’re winning, but impossible to be around when they lose. I dislike the lack of opportunities for somebody like myself to compete. I’m sick to death of all the weekly “tournaments” that you can find at every pool hall in the country. These are essentially just leagues for people who can’t make it every week. And you can be just about guaranteed that they will only be either 8-ball or 9-ball. If you play anything else, you’re just SOL. If they want to have these little get-togethers, then so be it. But, they should have some bigger, more serious tournaments that only happen maybe 2-3 times per year, and with a better selection of games. When somebody tells me that they’ve won 30 tournaments this year, I have to assume they’re referring to these little weekly events where the same 6 people show up every time. I dislike that only the very top percent of pro players can make a living playing the game and the prize money that they do receive pales in comparison to just about any other sport in the country, despite the game’s huge popularity. I dislike this for two reasons. First, it’s very discouraging for an aspiring player to turn pro. Second, it forces pro-level players to travel around and dominate local, amateur-level events.
I think I’ll leave it at this for now. M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.
European Snooker Championships 2008 Masters
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