pool vs snooker

[goose]

Hi all of the current band of pool players who would convert to snooker the best
i know selby tom ford play both, and ronnie had a go at 9 ball, would it be fair to say pool players are failed snooker players as there is much more money to be made in snooker

[Bandanna Joe]

I'm not sure about that statement; however, snooker players have much better technique and fundamentals.

Ronnie and Steve Davis play well against good pool players and only lack in their break technique playing nine ball. They both shoot straighter, IMO.

[missneworleans]

Tony Drago became a pool player and quite a good one after faliling snooker though hes back now

[bonoman1970]

you cant compare the two,
pool is like drawing a matchstick man
snooker is like painting a Constable!

[Nugget]

Hi all of the current band of pool players who would convert to snooker the best
i know selby tom ford play both, and ronnie had a go at 9 ball, would it be fair to say pool players are failed snooker players as there is much more money to be made in snooker

UK pool or American pool? It might be the case that some UK players weren't successful in snooker and made the switch, but you couldn't say that for the American players. Snooker just isn't popular there and finding a 12ft table is a challenge in itself for most people.

[Cueboy88]

The current World 9-ball Champion Daryl Peach started his cuesport career on the pro snooker tour but didn't do very well, although more of you may remember Mark Gray as a snooker pro, he is actually one of the top 9-ball players in the world and a former European number 1. As mentioned above Tony is now a major force at both 9 & 10-ball. Also a lot of the wheelchair and ladies snooker pros changed to American pool. Me included.

Matt Lester
www.matthew-lester.com

[sunny3909]

As far as popularity is concerned,American pool is more popular then snooker,American Pool has a more worldwide appeal.

[ace man]

Nowdays in the Eurotour pool competition, you get at least 5 British players + Drago in the last 16 and onwards.
Now I know that not all British guys are strict snooker players. Guys like Appleton and Boyes played UK 8ball, but that game also has tight snooker like pockets, so I think you'd need decent cue action for that game too.

If you're a pro at english small pocket cue game, it is not that difficult to switch to american cue game. Major advantage for really good snooker players is that they need to change next to nothing in their cue action. It works beutifully on a pool table too. Nuances of the game can be learned in a reasonable amount of time. Adapting to a pool cue also isn't exactly rocket science.

Top american pool players have extremely good feel for the balls and angles. So much in fact, that they can get away with having not so perfect fundamentals...on an american 9ft pool table. On a tight snooker table, their cue action would fail. Granted, some of them shoot really straight and look almost text book, but are not quite as solid like top snooker professionals. To play competitive snooker even at higher amateur level, they'd need to change their cue action and work with coaches, and that would be painful.

[Bigmeek]

Interesting thread and I don't know the answer but I remember when Steve Davis at his peak had a go at pool and couldn't compete with the major exponents of the game in the States. Think Jim Rempe? was a major force at the time.
Personally I think the best pool player in the world wouldn't be able to cope with the snooker circuit and vice versa the best snooker player in the world wouldn't compete on the pool circuit. The games are just so different I think although many people just look at the games are the same.....just potting balls into pockets with a stick. Selby seems to have managed to compete at both games.

[JazzyJust]

Quinten Hann is a former World 8 Ball Champion as well. Think Chris Melling also played snooker as well.

[missneworleans]

Tony is know having success in both snooker and pool!
3rd at last eurotour+ qualified for china and welsh open

[jb134]

Completely different disciplines. Snooker is all about power an accuracy these days, the current snooker cue action is miles ahead of what it has ever been before, as are cues (for the large part) and playing conditions.

8 ball pool is opening up in terms of rules and more importantly of pocket sizes, this is changing the game somewhat and not completely for the better, at one time at 8 ball intelligence/deviousness were a decent substitue for ability. Its a completely different discipline to snooker although a top cue action is obviously a huge advantage.

9 ball is another beast again, and again a top cue action is and advantage but it seems to me it is not so much an accuracy game, nor is it designed to be. Where 9 ball differs is it is a single ball position game, not a potting game, the bags see to that. There is only one ball to be on all the time and you see top players continually playing back to the "blue spot" to get a shot on the next ball.

Obviously in all these games great technique is a huge advatage but only in snooker is it a necessity to reach any sort of level. To reach the top in any game it is a must obviously.

just my two bobs worth, I look forward to getting torn to bits lol

[wildJONESEYE]

As far as popularity is concerned,American pool is more popular then snooker,American Pool has a more worldwide appeal.

its easier to play and doesn't need as long practicing to reach a acceptable level to play it.

in other words the majority of this world are lasy sods that doesn't want the challenge of playing a proper game.

[snookerpoolman]

Completely different disciplines. Snooker is all about power an accuracy these days, the current snooker cue action is miles ahead of what it has ever been before, as are cues (for the large part) and playing conditions.

8 ball pool is opening up in terms of rules and more importantly of pocket sizes, this is changing the game somewhat and not completely for the better, at one time at 8 ball intelligence/deviousness were a decent substitue for ability. Its a completely different discipline to snooker although a top cue action is obviously a huge advantage.

9 ball is another beast again, and again a top cue action is and advantage but it seems to me it is not so much an accuracy game, nor is it designed to be. Where 9 ball differs is it is a single ball position game, not a potting game, the bags see to that. There is only one ball to be on all the time and you see top players continually playing back to the "blue spot" to get a shot on the next ball.

Obviously in all these games great technique is a huge advatage but only in snooker is it a necessity to reach any sort of level. To reach the top in any game it is a must obviously.

just my two bobs worth, I look forward to getting torn to bits lol

interesting thread... Not gonna tear you apart..although that might happen to me...

My view is thus: English pool is a second to snooker in ability required to play at a decent level. Yes probably more people worldwide play American pool. The reasons for this are manifold, but mainly because it's an easier game to play regardless of skill level AND due to availability. Go to any country in Western Europe outside the UK, and you'll generally find a nine ball table in the local bar or even a club full of them. Dubious quality tables and varying sizes of balls, Duck Egg sized cue balls, speed cloth that runs forever, cues that you have absolutey no chance of controlloing the position with etc. etc. I've been to Spain, Portugal, Greece, Holland, Germany, Belgium and probably others I cant remember and always found this.

Any joe can pick up a nine ball cue, aim for a ball half way down the cushion and it'll wobble and drop in a pocket (and they think they're gonna challenge Ronnie or somet). That means a quick game and a fast turn-around for the operator and therefore more money generated, also more people will play because it's easy! English Pool is harder to play at a good standard because of the ball to pocket ratio. Therefore, less people want to play, even though it can be a great game when played properly.

Occassionally in Europe, Canaries or Majorca, you'll find an English or Irish bar that has a half decent English pool table to have a knock on, but that can be a real test for the locals who normally play nine ball.

Snooker is now growing and can be found in mainland Europe more than previously. That helps nine ball players who get bored with silly pockets or want to progress, to do so.

Looking outside of Europe, American pool has spread well, largely for the same reasons I've outlined.

Yes Selby played pool very well, and to his credit, I understand he still turns out for his league team occassionally. I play both snooker and English pool. I'm not fond of World Rules, because to me playing a deliberate foul to gain an advantage goes against the spirit of the game. World rules players tell me it's 'cute' or 'clever' to use this advantage, I'm yet to be convinced.

Years ago they had a Fiat Snooker Pool Callenge from some glitzy hotel in Cannes or somewhere posh like that. Steve Davis played Steve Mizerak over 3 disciplines - Snooker, 9 ball and 15 Ball. From memory 2 or 3 frames of each. Davis obviously won the snooker, though somewhat of a surprise to me, Mizerak made a creditable 52 clearance and I think I'm correct in saying he'd misread the score and hadn't realised he needed a snooker hence still lost that frame. Davis played pretty good pool, and won the event overall. I have this on video somewhere? Maybe it's on you tube??

I doubt very much if an American Pool player will ever transfer and have real success at snooker professionally - it's just too hard a transition... Shall I put on my bullet proof vest now??

[Nugget]

Snooker is now growing and can be found in mainland Europe more than previously. That helps nine ball players who get bored with silly pockets or want to progress, to do so.

I think it's an oversimplification and not really fair to write off nine ball because of the larger pockets. I can guarantee that anyone on this forum who has played the game still missed a few into them. The bigger pockets make for a different kind of game, and make shots possible that aren't available in snooker.

Too many people say that American games are "easy" when they're actually playing them very badly! Anyone who has tried playing straight pool will appreciate what it takes to run 400 balls like John Schmidt and others have.

Years ago they had a Fiat Snooker Pool Callenge from some glitzy hotel in Cannes or somewhere posh like that. Steve Davis played Steve Mizerak over 3 disciplines - Snooker, 9 ball and 15 Ball. From memory 2 or 3 frames of each. Davis obviously won the snooker, though somewhat of a surprise to me, Mizerak made a creditable 52 clearance and I think I'm correct in saying he'd misread the score and hadn't realised he needed a snooker hence still lost that frame. Davis played pretty good pool, and won the event overall.

Davis won the snooker event 5-1, but lost the straight pool and nine ball matches. Mizerak won the event overall, 2-1.

I doubt very much if an American Pool player will ever transfer and have real success at snooker professionally - it's just too hard a transition... Shall I put on my bullet proof vest now??

I think snooker players have the better end of it in making the switch because of their solid technique, and they can manage some wins in short races in nine ball if things go their way. However, if any top snooker player played a top pool pro a race to 100 in ten ball or similar, the chances of the match being competitive aren't great.