2014 World Championship - Discussion

[Odrl]

These tables have always been far jaw pockets. Ronnie plays them better than anyone in the game. You touch the near jaw they won't go in, well at least 98/100 they won't. Occassionally they may not go far jaw either but that tends to be down the rail more.

Perfect timing. :smile:

But seriously, the pockets do seem completely inconsistent. This is the same table as this afternoon, and it's just not playing the same. I can't imagine anything has been changed between the sessions, unless they got sick of all the criticism. :smile:

[attilahun]

No I want the game back that was good when players relied on their ability first and foremost. Do you remember the days of Hendry, Williams, Higgins, Ronnie, Hunter etc, all great players but none of them went down this route of gamesmanship. You seem to want a different game where boring the opponent into some form of submission seems to be the order of the day.

Hendry summed it up perfectly yesterday after the first 4 frames when we he said its snooker but not how he knows it. And Doherty and Parrot were also quick to pick up how Robertson was trying to 'put a number on him' as their response to his deliberate slow play against Trump.

Tell me again, what is the game of snooker about, is it skill or is it gamesmanship?

Totally agree.....fortunate there are still a few players who rely on skill and not on gamesmanship ....too bad world number 1 is not one of them.

[cyberheater]

These tables have always been far jaw pockets. Ronnie plays them better than anyone in the game. You touch the near jaw they won't go in, well at least 98/100 they won't. Occassionally they may not go far jaw either but that tends to be down the rail more.

Yes. You're right. Robbo just hit a red that landed far jaw and I thought it might drop but it just stayed out.

Having said that. At my club. Unless you hit them fairly clean, they refuse to go in. I bet my club pockets are bigger but with a different cut and pretty worn cloth.

[brusque]

finally a proper table where balls are not falling off the jaws

[vilkrang]

Those buckets playing up again it seems...

[cueman]

It seems if they rattle they don't go in but if they do a soft bounce off the opposite jaw then they sometimes do.

These tables have always been far jaw pockets. Ronnie plays them better than anyone in the game. You touch the near jaw they won't go in, well at least 98/100 they won't. Occassionally they may not go far jaw either but that tends to be down the rail more.

[alphabetagaga]

wowwee wtf

[cyberheater]

It's kind of amazing that red along the cushion from Robertson stayed out, if you think about some of the balls that have been going in over the last couple of days. Not that I'm complaining... :smile:

It seems if they rattle they don't go in but if they do a soft bounce off the opposite jaw then they sometimes do.

[cueman]

It's kind of amazing that red along the cushion from Robertson stayed out, if you think about some of the balls that have been going in over the last couple of days. Not that I'm complaining... :smile:

Some people were calling them buckets earlier too? Amazing how opinions change within a few hours!

[Odrl]

It's kind of amazing that red along the cushion from Robertson stayed out, if you think about some of the balls that have been going in over the last couple of days. Not that I'm complaining... :smile:

[daffie]

...or als David Hendon on Eurosport just said "for 50 weeks of the year this Crucible theatre stages great drama...and tonight it's staging some more"

[cyberheater]

But we're talking about two players here.

As the commentators said on Eurosport. "A real see-saw battle between two these two snooker gladiators in this colosseum which is the Crucible". Perfectly put.

[daffie]

@cyberheater...I know the feeling.

Good frame for Mark to pinch in the end!

[cyberheater]

Anyone still watching the game at hand?

Nice long protracted tactical frame again

I haven't got time to watch snooker. My typing speed isn't what it used to be.

[Billy]

No I want the game back that was good when players relied on their ability first and foremost. Do you remember the days of Hendry, Williams, Higgins, Ronnie, Hunter etc, all great players but none of them went down this route of gamesmanship. You seem to want a different game where boring the opponent into some form of submission seems to be the order of the day.

Hendry summed it up perfectly yesterday after the first 4 frames when we he said its snooker but not how he knows it. And Doherty and Parrot were also quick to pick up how Robertson was trying to 'put a number on him' as their response to his deliberate slow play against Trump.

Tell me again, what is the game of snooker about, is it skill or is it gamesmanship?

But we're talking about two players here. Two players whose style you obviously don't like. What was Griffiths' average shot time? Ebdon's? The game has always had slow players and what you're seeing as gamesmanship I'm just seeing as careful consideration. Ask yourself this, what do either player have to gain by playing deliberately slowly? Neil's game, especially, is fairly quick when he gets going, and I don't think Selby is that much of a slouch either. If they felt they could up the pace I'm sure they would. One of these two has a grueling final with O'Sullivan to face over the weekend, so why wouldn't they want to get this match out of the way as soon as possible?