john v ghost

[fred bentivegna]

I am holding the stakes, so I am required to fade sweating the whole set. It is no secret that sweating pool matches is a form of Chinese torture for me, especially if I dont have a bet on the match, which I dont. It is a good thing that these two birds actually know the game pretty good, so that goes a long way towards diluting the agony of the sweat.

Its been a good match so far, aside from the missing of the balls ( but what did anyone expect? Shane's pocketing skills?). Plenty of onepocket to be learned here however.

Beard

 

[senor]

Thanks to everybody for the appreciation...John and I are having an intense battle, fo-sure...I think we both played better today than we did yesterday.

- Ghost

From what I saw very much so. Good on you both.

 

[Frank Almanza]

I've enjoyed the match. How about if John wins the next game that you guys make the decision to win by two. Only because I want it to last longer. Either way it's been enjoyable.

 

[jrhendy]

I've enjoyed the match. How about if John wins the next game that you guys make the decision to win by two. Only because I want it to last longer. Either way it's been enjoyable.

You trying to kill us

The only guy I have ever played this long in a race was Artie. 14 1/2 hours race to 7.

He was from Chicago too.

 

[Tom Wirth]

I've enjoyed the match. How about if John wins the next game that you guys make the decision to win by two. Only because I want it to last longer. Either way it's been enjoyable.

Frank, I agree with you about the win by two games idea. I like that format so much I believe tournaments should adopt a single elimination format with a race to x and win by two. This would help to speed up tournaments but also be far more fair. Why should the breaker have such a huge advantage at hill, hill? Wouldn't it be more fair to require a player to win a match by breaking the others serve?

Tom

 

[jrhendy]

So today they'll tee it up for 2, 3, or 4 games for all the cheese. I suspect that by 7 P.M. they'll be into a few adult beverages and a re-hash of the contest...

BTW, where has Cardone been? It's not like him to stay so quiet. Might we see a Cardone/Henderson match-up?

~Doc

He is here. He was playing Ike when I left last night.

 

[senor]

Frank, I agree with you about the win by two games idea. I like that format so much I believe tournaments should adopt a single elimination format with a race to x and win by two. This would help to speed up tournaments but also be far more fair. Why should the breaker have such a huge advantage at hill, hill? Wouldn't it be more fair to require a player to win a match by breaking the others serve?

Tom

A good idea. IMO it would require player seeding.

 

[wgcp]

The Match

The Match

Ghost and John,
As been said before, when one pocket is played to its highest levels, it is interesting to watch...one ball, safety, one ball, I have to admit, though, I don't know who is squeezing harder in the match...

I have enjoyed it tremendously, and thanks Red Shoes for putting the recorded match's on for later viewing...it let some of us set up some of the shots that these two shot that I had not seen before...

Bille

 

[Red Shoes]

As interesting as a "WIN BY TWO" format would be...It can NOT be used in ONE POCKET tournaments. These guys have been playing for 14 hours (score 8-7). I think only once was one of them up by TWO (4-2 day one). What can you do when you have a continual SEE/SAW and NOBODY gets to "TWO"??? All it takes is one set of players to basically STOP a tournament from ever getting to the next round. See "yall" at 3 PM.

 

[Tom Wirth]

As interesting as a "WIN BY TWO" format would be...It can NOT be used in ONE POCKET tournaments. These guys have been playing for 14 hours (score 8-7). I think only once was one of them up by TWO (4-2 day one). What can you do when you have a continual SEE/SAW and NOBODY gets to "TWO"??? All it takes is one set of players to basically STOP a tournament from ever getting to the next round. See "yall" at 3 PM.

You make a good point here. However a tournament match would not be a race to ten. A single race to 4 or five and win by two would probably be sufficient. I suppose something would have to be implemented to deal with a situation where a match ran to six, seven or possibly eight games all. Maybe a lag and one game to decide the match. I doubt this situation would occur very often though. There will always be issues but IMO to have a match basically decided by the lag or a flip of a coin is too severe price.

Tom

 

[One Pocket Ghost]

Don't anyone miss my poolroom entrance today...

Just like heavyweight boxers, I will be entering Red Shoes today wearing a custom made silk robe with GHOST emblazoned in 12" letters on the back of it.......

I will then proceed to go up to Big John and stare him down...:heh

 

[DWS]

Too late!!!

Too late!!!

I've enjoyed the match. How about if John wins the next game that you guys make the decision to win by two. Only because I want it to last longer. Either way it's been enjoyable.

Although I am enjoying watching it too and wouldn't mind watching more, it's a little too late to change the terms of the game 15 games in and so close to the end. Much of the money on the side is dependent on the terms of the match not changing in any way.

 

[Cory in dc]

Frank, I agree with you about the win by two games idea. I like that format so much I believe tournaments should adopt a single elimination format with a race to x and win by two. This would help to speed up tournaments but also be far more fair. Why should the breaker have such a huge advantage at hill, hill? Wouldn't it be more fair to require a player to win a match by breaking the others serve?

Tom

It's clearly too late to change the rules now. But I believe it was the Ghost himself who posted a while back that the break gives a disproportionate advantage to whoever won the lag/coin toss. He proposed, or maybe said he had implemented, a rule to even that out: the breaker gives 9-8 in hill-hill matches.

 

[Tom Wirth]

It's clearly too late to change the rules now. But I believe it was the Ghost himself who posted a while back that the break gives a disproportionate advantage to whoever won the lag/coin toss. He proposed, or maybe said he had implemented, a rule to even that out: the breaker gives 9-8 in hill-hill matches.

Hey Cory, How are you? Yes, Ghost is right. the break in the final game is definitely an advantage. His idea is a good way to help even things up in this match but depending on the quality of the players the break has varying degrees of value. So how do you adjust for that in a tournament setting?

Tom

 

[tucson9ball]

The Break.....

The Break.....

Justlike in tennis, the serve is a big advantage. The opposing player has to break serve at least once to win.

It's the same in one pocket, if you can't win on the other guys' break,at least once, then you just can't win.

 

[androd]

depending on the quality of the players the break has varying degrees of value. So how do you adjust for that in a tournament setting?

Tom

If it's hill/hill it seems to have adjusted itself.
Rod.

 

[Cory in dc]

Justlike in tennis, the serve is a big advantage. The opposing player has to break serve at least once to win.

It's the same in one pocket, if you can't win on the other guys' break,at least once, then you just can't win.

You don't have to break serve to win a race in 1P. If it gets to 2-2 and both have held their breaks then whoever won the lag/coin toss has the 1.5 ball (folklore estimate of the value of the break) edge.

Tom--I'm well, thanks. It's hard for me to picture tailoring a general rule to the player's skill; keep it simple I say. The 9-8 rule probably evens things out a bit vs. the status quo.

I suppose you could have the player who wins the lag have the option in the hill-hill match of (1) give 9-8 and break or (2) take 9-8 and give up the break.

 

[Tom Wirth]

You don't have to break serve to win a race in 1P. If it gets to 2-2 and both have held their breaks then whoever won the lag/coin toss has the 1.5 ball (folklore estimate of the value of the break) edge.

Tom--I'm well, thanks. It's hard for me to picture tailoring a general rule to the player's skill; keep it simple I say. The 9-8 rule probably evens things out a bit vs. the status quo.

I suppose you could have the player who wins the lag have the option in the hill-hill match of (1) give 9-8 and break or (2) take 9-8 and give up the break.

Agreed.....

 

[Dudley]

Anybody know the current score?

Dudley

 

[NH Steve]

Believe it is now 9-8 in games in favor of the Ghost, and the Ghost is breaking right now