2014 CSI 8 Ball Invitational: Van Boening vs Souquet

The 2014 CSI 8-Ball Invitational Championship sponsored by Predator Cues: Shane Van Boening vs Ralf Souquet. Filmed July 2014 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, this event featured 16 of the world's very best.

[@kylecasper8802]

I enjoy the commentating. It's nice to predict what you think and see if they agree with your thoughts. More times than not there are right. There's nothing wrong with that. It's kind of their job. What else are they going to say? "He's shooting the 4, now he's shooting the 6." I mean come on. What they do is great and I really like watching these videos because of the commentating. They also explain why they think that which makes you understand things better. Absolutely nothing wrong with that at all!

[@tonythetiger583]

I think it'd be cool if they had a naturally curious amateur player who is just learning the game, and an advanced player who can answer questions and clarify.

[@dannyzaragoza9580]

Pfff Look at these balls 😅

[@lstone234]

I totally agree with you. My thoughts exactly.

[@Guitarded4life1]

I think CSI commentators are some of the best. They stay focused on the match and they know what they're talking about.

[@mngomba]

Guitarplayer Poolplayer it's not think, it's they are. ;)

[@deltavee2]

Excellent match and good commentary. Very enjoyable. The worst part was reading the whiners below commenting on the commentators. I just subscribed.

[@JayBates]

For everyone complaining about racking or shooting delays in pool videos remember that if you're watching this on a computer you can press J to skip 10 seconds back and L to skip 10 seconds forward. K pauses. After clicking on the video twice to pause and then resume you activate the arrow keys for 5 second skips. If viewing on a mobile device you can double tap the left and right side of the screen to skip forward and backwards 10 seconds.

[@ramswaminathan5463]

Thank you mr.jay bates Yr advice is very helpful..

[@matternst5310]

Legendary performance by both legends of the game

[@GT55101]

Ken does a good job commentating.

[@simplelangperorock]

I love listening to Pumba and Timone

[@Jmgoregrind]

Wow that’s really what it’s Like lol

[@MrNikosnik]

"by the hair ,that he doesn't have ," epic!!! Great match

[@Carlosgtrsnk]

What a match, thanks for uploading that

[@dnewbi3521]

what a great match one of the best I have ever seen.

[@ethanletzer3507]

Hate the mouth noises, but love you guys in the booth. Ken, Bobby, and Jay are the best pool commentators out there. George and Freddy are right there too but I love the old school talk

[@caseysrodeo14]

love this match....commentators do an Awesome job in helping the novice players understand the patterns for each game played.....Just wondering who are the commentators?

[@lstone234]

Commentators are Bobby Cotton and Kenny Shuman. Bobby is my favourite. Ken not so much.

[@boosters23]

Best thing to do is mute the match and this way you can guess what ball they are going to shoot next.

[@MrOriuk79]

It sounds like a competition to see who gets the next move right!

[@golfingmadeeasy]

The best commentary was when one of them was having lunch and the other one stepped away = silence!

[@brandonsokowovsky5034]

The announcers are the best part

[@marshalcraft]

game 6, Shanes break is so destructive and good I think you notice the satisfaction on Shane's face too. Think he ran that one out quickest.

[@ramswaminathan5463]

Nice match...thrilling to the end RAM

[@stinger139]

I enjoy the commentators. Of course they are not professional but they do better than mot of us would. Get off their backs.

[@Mickster114]

1:25:36 PLEASE tell me i am not the only one that heard that. Oh my goodness! lmaooo

[@christopherwelsh7008]

I heard a story about a guy who once took Ralph Souquet lightly in a pool game, but no one can remember who he was...

[@felixscholz1947]

Since when can you place the cue ball anywhere after the pockeded cue ball in the wake of the brake. I thought it could only be placed in the head field

[@joshuahaynes7413]

Felix Scholz there playing bca rules your thinking of vnea

[@MrNikosnik]

My top two fav players , because they remind me of me !!

[@cheddavis]

I know it's years old ... but helluva match

[@brianphillips474]

Of course you can make up any rule you want with pool but taking turns breaking is the worst

[@dannystarret8152]

wow the roll of the 15 ball at 1:15:13

[@amudhanst]

beautiful shot at 1:18:46! very nice run in that frame!

[@keeleyg1]

10:38 Is Souquet not required to place the cue-ball behind the balk line in this situation?

[@arifkabasar2751]

they have another rules, break faul is just like normal faul ball in hand. shane allso made same in another frame just ball in hand.

[@dafacey]

1:15:20 wow what a horrible table ?!

[@kingstaff4]

Dafacey you're right. They need to get that fixed. That ball rolled to the rail after it should've been stopped.

[@frasertones8519]

1:25:39 WTF!!!! Nice one Ken!!

[@waynehall7753]

I've been playing since I was 13. and 50 years later. I still can't put three games together like these people do! Would enjoy seeing a miss sometimes because I see myself as terrible considering. Guess I'l just keep on shooting and missing. 3 innings is about my normal per game

[@jamesroboyle]

Wayne Hall Take your time studying the table. It’s easier predicting where these guys are going on tv vs executing the shots yourself. That’s how I feel I’ve been playing for 10 years now .

[@sheilamclaughlin963]

Takes more work as u age, I have to get rolls if I get to shoot 3 times

[@mr_blackops7429]

jim witch (the one that does mosconi cup) is the worst commmenter for pool these guys do pretty good job

[@brodylockwood14]

Why the hell do they talk about the seven ball in the first game when only the 2, 3 and 6 are in play?

[@rytonbrowne970]

ball colours confusing anyone else ?

[@arifkabasar2751]

modern time :)

[@sheilamclaughlin963]

Tv balls

[@josephnewcomb5670]

What size table they playing on

[@jamesroboyle]

Joseph Newcomb 9 footer

[@MrOriuk79]

They do see the comments they just don't care to improve the comments and get more people to follow

[@BostonSecret45]

I'll never understand the alternate break format

[@abusiveFIRE]

WHEN THE "UP NEXT" VIDEO SPOILS THE WHOLE DAM MATCH....

[@abusiveFIRE]

Excellent job youtube.

[@sanctuary8396]

+abusiveFIRE Well, these videos are almost 2 years old, so you really can't be too surprised that the final match is also going to show up here.

[@abusiveFIRE]

+Earth Asylum HA They changed it, or it changed...

[@wilsongautama1688]

26:27 top shot from vb

[@fallsgolf1663]

is that Johnny Archer in the booth?

[@Robs71nova]

Excellent match, and thanks for uploading. I agree with a previous comment in that the commentators need to stop trying to predict what the shooters are going to take and the runs they are gonna make. I mean no one really cares what the commentators "think" the shooters should do. Gets very annoying.

[@lstone234]

I agree. Second rack Kenny had Ralf running out before even shot his first ball. That is a little premature in my opinion.

[@cardguys]

Sweat match!!

[@MrNikosnik]

I wonder if Shane has ever fouled the white ball, the way that he gets so close to it while swinging and approaching it lol

[@simplelangperorock]

Is Earl Strickland a hall of famer? He's like the Connor McGregor of pool.

[@wiopcjq6208]

yup

[@bassinbilliards6279]

I just can't wait for the commentator to retire. Sounds like saucy noodles in his mouth. It kills me. The other southern guy I like to hear. I also enjoy the stories some times. Doesn't bother me.

[@Omahabigbill]

Can't watch any more matches with Souquet, he just plays too slow. I don't think you have to keep walking around the table over and over again to figure out your shot.

[@fiercewowmail]

thats why you will never achive what ralf has achived

[@mngomba]

fierce wow well said :)

[@sanctuary8396]

Omahabigbill Not everyone can sight patterns quickly like Strickland, Archer or Van Boening. It's just the way Ralph is.

[@Omahabigbill]

fierce wow I'd rather never achieve what Earl has achieved.

[@Omahabigbill]

Earth Asylum I agree. I just can't stand to watch anyone that slow. I wish I cold be more like fierce wow and gomba, come out of the closet like they did, and see it Ralf's way.

[@orsonboggs7753]

ralf...lol...what happened to the ph

[@truthwarrior122]

10:00 Cue ball mugged and beaten by other balls and dropped down a sewer.

[@wiopcjq6208]

lol

[@hammerlane3871]

an Asian, a Philippino, a German and an American all walk into a bar....

[@nicodemosmusic]

3:55 - What I tell all my bitches.

[@3498819]

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[@josephhanson7]

Ralf's misses: 1 [a 4 ball combination]; Shane's misses: 0. Ralf won the lag, Shane broke dry one more time than Ralf, therefore Ralf wins the match. 0 safeties played in total ... this game is too easy for these players. Maybe they should add 6 more balls....

[@marshalcraft]

Thats 2 top level world professional pool players working it out. I way more enjoy this then 9 ball personally. If the players start going 8 and 8 often, then raise the match count. 8 ball is about breaking and running racks consecutively more then 9 ball and other game types. Also, I attribute Ralf's miss on the 4 ball combo as actually a poor break then a missed shot. This really tests the break ability here, Shane is one of the best breakers in the world and yet Ralf's breaks were better. Many attribute Ralf's world master 9 success to a lot of things, but few talk about his break.

[@marshalcraft]

Really this match was a real treat, one of my all time fav's. Don't know wihch I enjoyed more, this or 2017 u.s. 8 ball open also by csi Shane vs. Alex and Alex with come back win and hard fought 8 ball rack run outs to win that year. Looks like Csi 8 ball is kind of the premeir world 8 ball tournament analogous to World master 9 ball for 9 ball, in my opinion. Also the cut's to Denis and his match during racking was really nice. All around just great entertainment to watch this.

[@marshalcraft]

Also I don't see these players saying 8 ball is too easy, obviously Ralf shows he has special interest in 8 ball by the way he plays, all of them typically grow up on it, and probably played it more then even 9 ball.

[@marshalcraft]

If 8 ball is so dam easy why aren't you here winning this tournament? Watch Shane play Alex, and he doesn't play this well in near similar setting, it's clearly both players here, raising the game to meet the other's and obtaining high level peak in this perticular instance. Going in after last 2 balls and then 8 in a sea of obstruction is no easy task and most 9 ball setups won't work. Alls it takes is a bit to end the run, you can see that from any pro, they don't always play to this level.

[@marshalcraft]

This perfection should be celebrated as a rare treat to get to see, but the way they may give off an illusion of ease may confuse you. Also, having a choice is not always a benefit, it's yet another thing you have to correctly play, the correct choice, not all of them are easier then others, and selecting the correct one is part of the game and an area where players can go wrong. Look at Saratoga how being forced to run in order on 6 balls they can run out apparently easier then 9 ball or 8 ball, yet it should be harder, but your not including the fact you ahve to make correct choice, taking time and skill.

[@orsonboggs7753]

seems like shane v dosent win many lags

[@jamesroboyle]

orson boggs Id say he wins a large majority of them . You don’t win em’ all unfortunately.

[@xkaboomx]

Very ignorant commentating. It's like these guys are having a competition of who can predict what the players are going to shoot... commentating is about explaining the game to the audience not to fulfill your own ego to see if you can out call more shots... We should be trying to grow pool and make it understandable and interesting to a wider audience. Someone who is new to pool will not understand this type of commentary and even for someone who knows the game very well, this type of commentary is useless and annoying. The matches are great, but please rethink how the commentary is done and let's focus on explaining the game and not filling your own ego.

[@vyns5896]

I couldn't agree more, but it's a waste of time saying anything as it has all been said dozens of times before on almost every video uploaded and nothing changes. I don't think CSI actually look at the comments once the videos are uploaded. Also, what happened to the old style commentary, where the commentators understood the importance of occasional silence and allowing the players themselves to show what can be done. Saying 'he's getting ready to break' whilst the player is down and feathering the cue ball is totally irrelevant. Still, great quality videos and I like watching, just with the volume turned down.

[@courtneyprescott7328]

maybe if we (the people who care and notice) wrote CSI an e-mail explaining that and sent the same e-mail once a week until we saw a change. All e-mails should reflect the idea that the talk should be educational so the listeners can understand and grow.

[@VeritasForYou]

you sir don't understand what you are asking!! commentating is about analysis and predicting the shots what else do you want?!

[@BostonSecret45]

..what? what else do you want them to say? the stats on each player that have been repeated 4500 times?

[@alcoholya]

weird comment... thoughtful analysis of game strategy is what people want.. why so many likes?

[@tomsorlie4197]

I guess it's worth saying but it's obvious isn't it? The commentators I'm sure are nice people but they don't understand their roles. That being the case they are subtracting rather than adding to this match. Terrible to listen to.

[@user-sp9xe1nh8t]

ralf is very slow and boring ..

[@lisalaplante7116]

خفوو شش

[@jamesroboyle]

Mr. “Slow and Boring “, would whoop your ass.

[@robertcoups3918]

Just once I'd like to see a match where the players have GoPro cameras on their heads so we can see where they are hitting the cue ball, because these announcers are worthless.

[@cognitivedissonance2264]

Would you pay for that?

[@thedementedpineapple2744]

okay, seriously what kind of fucking commentating is this?

[@matthewrutkowski5061]

+The Demented Pineapple It's unbearable. Plus they sound stupid saying what should be done and the pros show them they are dead wrong almost every time. At one point they were wrong about a shot and said "he's good". No shit Van Boening is good he's a fucking world champ!

[@SpaceboyBilliards]

Matthew Rutkowski There is no right or wrong in pool. There's many solutions for each rack. Stop bitching you bitchy bitch.