2021 World Championships

[Danger Steve]

I was totally against Taom, thought it was a shocking price and just an advertising gimmick. Got given a piece for crimbo and I will never go back, it's still way, way over priced but I've not had one kick and the table even after six or seven hours play , apart from the finger marks , it looks clean. With triangle etc after a few frames it's a mess. More than willing to say I was wrong about it and all the lads that play on our table use it now and any guests are provided with a piece to use.

I’ve banned the use of anything else! Lol. If I ran a club it would be mandatory!

[Danger Steve]

I missed the snooker this morning & afternoon, Ronnie doesn’t look switched on tonight? Already getting his ‘it’s cold’ excuses in just in case!

[PatBlock]

The mini orgasms from the Ronnie fans every time he pots a ball are hilarious.

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[Danger Steve]

The table already looks like a chalk grenade has exploded!

[PatBlock]

I missed the snooker this morning & afternoon, Ronnie doesn’t look switched on tonight? Already getting his ‘it’s cold’ excuses in just in case!

Seems to be warming up now, surely no way back for Joyce 8 - 4 down,

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[Billy]

It would appear Dave Gilbert’s been using a Flymo to cut his hair during lockdown.

[Danger Steve]

Seems to be warming up now, surely no way back for Joyce 8 - 4 down,

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Yep! I actually think the crowd has helped spark him into life.

[PatBlock]

Too many mistakes and too many chances spurned by Joyce. Easy day for Ronnie.

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[motorhead]

I'm pleasantly surprised that balls are staying out when the players miss. Hopefully that remains the case throughout the Championship.

Great to see you here Odrl!

[fkhan]

I think this is the shortest time that any player has defended his world title, 8 months. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Odrl]

Great to see you here Odrl!

Good to see you too.

[Odrl]

I think this is the shortest time that any player has defended his world title, 8 months. Correct me if I'm wrong.

In the Crucible era, yes, as it's consistently been held in April, apart from last year. But going further back, the dates were more varied. For instance, Ray Reardon won the 1970 World Championship in April, then unsuccessfully defended it in September of the same year.

[mikee]

I’ve banned the use of anything else! Lol. If I ran a club it would be mandatory!

Triangle chalk is rubbish ,I would go as far to say anything at the moment that isn't Taum is cr*p ,yes it’s expensive but it lasts and works ,why Ronnie would carry on using that mucky chalk and getting kicks is a strange one .

[Nifty50]

It would appear Dave Gilbert’s been using a Flymo to cut his hair during lockdown.

He’s a farmer Billy so probably got all sorts of equipment. Combine harvester perhaps or a scythe?

[vmax]

Bit of a coincidence that Ronnie still uses Triangle type talk? I reduced my bad contact to near zero when I swapped to Taom.

He tried Taom at last at last years worlds but miscued a few times and his cue ball control wasn't as tight as normal so he went back to Triangle. Last years worlds held in august really suffered from the hot humid conditions and there were loads of bad contacts and kicks even when both players were using Taom.
I watched the Steve Davis v Jimmy White semi final of the worlds 1990 on youtube on friday, seven hours of it, and it was the first time I'd seen serial cleaning of the cue ball when both players were suffering. The difference between Davis' game that year and thereafter compared to the 1980's was chalk and cheese. It makes me suspect that this was the first year of Aramith balls at the worlds, Alex Higgins suffered as well against Steve James that year, was always cleaning the cue ball himself but to no avail, got drunk, assaulted an official and went off on one at the press conference afterwards anouncing his retirement.
From then on Davis, who was only 33/34 years old at the time, stared fiddling about with cues and ferrules, changing his grip, trying to find his old form, eventually he resorted to an ultra safety game whereas before he was long red, 70 break frame over. He didn't know the balls had changed and reacted differently, same size, same weight but something was different and no one was told.

I use grey master chalk and my own original super crystalate balls in practise and get maybe two kicks in seven frames, I use the clubs Aramith balls in league matches and get four or five in just one frame. OK so we've been stuck with these balls for the past thirty years and for the present, something can be done about it yet it needs the will from those in charge to find something better. How many matches have been turned around on a bad contact at a crucial time and all because of an industrial takeover and subsequent monopoly of billiard balls made from an inferior composite material.

I would like to see just how good these pros can be using super crystalate balls in modern super fast conditions, frighteningly good I suspect.