2016 US Open Straight Pool Championship: Shane Van Boening vs Alex Pagulayan

2016 US Open Straight Pool Championship
April 20-24, 2016
Pool Time Magic
Windsor Locks, CT
The 2016 US Open Straight Pool Championship is a production of CSI media, a division of CueSports International (CSI). For more information about CSI, visit www.playcsipool.com
Sponsors/Contributors:
Pool Table Magic, Simonis Billiard Cloth, OB Cues, Aramith Billiard Balls, Tiger Products Inc, CueSports International (CSI)

[@dumdum67ful]

Thinking, Thinking, forever Thinking

[@jasonshowers]

At 1:14 they rerack with SVB taking 15pt foul. Wasn't AP on a foul first from his scratch in previous inning? What did I miss?

[@sherryjankowski]

Alex fouled three times before SVB!

[@rupertwh]

That would have been Shane's mistake for not telling Alex that he is on two fouls. So Alex's third foul doesn't count as such. But, more gravely, they both don't ever properly stroke the ball -- which would be very difficult without accidently hitting it too hard and leaving your opponent a shot. Instead, they both intentionally miscue several times, aka unsportsmanlike conduct. (Not sure if Alex even touched the ball with his cue). Is that considered professional pool? Commentators deeply asleep, as well. How could they miss that?

[@rca-ui1ue]

@59:26 WTF Was that noise 😂😂😂

[@josephkane1723]

Alex was on the first scratch in the side pocket he took an additional 2 he fouled three first what I fail to see why this was missed by the very observant commentators.

[@Occupuyourspine]

HORRAY FOR GREEN CLOTH

[@grobbs666]

I dont think I've ever seen Alex ever win a match... ever. I must have watched a few dozen with him, but he always loses. I mean he's obviously an extremely great player and has to win a lot... just weird that I haven't seen any

[@bhabhaibharatpathak5631]

By the time it was 1:18:35 Minute mark, Mr Alex Pagulian had taken three/four full rounds of the table; was he deciding on some shots OR was he seeking blessings from the balls and the table etc? Ha...Ha...

[@bhabhaibharatpathak5631]

And then he re-racked the balls a second time; while the score stood 56 Alex & 52 Shane Van.

[@tlinjr]

1:31:58 Ronnie O’Sullivan

[@MotersickleBum]

these guys need to take some lessons from Josh Filler.

[@51Dss]

slow play ruins the game for the viewers. Shot clock on this tour should be standard and in use in every event and strictly enforced. NO WAY should a game of Str8 pool to a measly 150 take 2 hours - this one is 2 hours and 23 minutes and then some...sucks thumbs down!

[@philmann3476]

Agreed. If Minnesota Fats and Fast Eddie played this slow, that movie would never have been released -- they'd still be shooting it. Good straight pool players don't need much time because they already know what shots come next. Despite their admitted skill, these guys just aren't that much fun to watch.

[@kevinbransky1817]

On SVB's first re-rack, why did he move the cue ball to the kitchen and play the break shot with ball in hand? In regular straight pool games the player re-racks the stack facing the end rail on the other side of the table, near the head spot. Strange they just let him foul and then keep shooting.

[@rupertwh]

Huh? The cue ball was blocking the re-rack, so he gets ball in hand behind the head string. That's normal.

[@doughebert4116]

Need a better commentator, this guy is as quiet as a church mouse. Where is Cotton?

[@phillipwilliams2249]

know it all cotton is damn sure who we dont need telling us saying well i would have done it like this or that, instead ill just wait and see what these 2 world champions do, have you ever seen know it all cotton shoot..I have he isnt worth a shit.

[@BMWLDRider]

Slow play

[@jlx_music4365]

Professional players but such easy tables...it´s strange that even at the semi-pro tournaments are much harder tables to play...not even 2 balls fitting the pocket...but here like 2.5 and new clothes...doesn´t make any fun to play and to watch...

[@marshalcraft]

new cloth doesn't make it easier... some perfer a well worn in table where you can really feel the slate. Also Csi/BCA regulation I think is 1.75 min - 2.25 max ball to pocket ratio so... Appears you may be a little bit off on some of that.

[@marshalcraft]

As example, look at some of the philipines videos where they are running like 4-6 9/10 ball racks in a row, they are usually more worn tables the cloth. Then when get to some kind of tournament with brand spanking new fabric on the table they don't do so well. Table slower, draw and forward kicks in earlier but dies out earlier. As for pockets I think it don't really matter too much, you just adjust to it over time. Maybe it kind of a myth that If you train on super tight pockets you'll be better. Because if you do that, then start playing on wider pockets you'll just slowly start unraveling to the wider pockets.

[@marshalcraft]

Additional example look at Ronnie vs Archer, super tight snooker player vs huge pocket us player.

[@marshalcraft]

Yeah think this Brunswick is fairly traditional home of strait pool.

[@51Dss]

I agree - two of the top 5 players in the world - big pockets - short race to 150 and they dragged it out for 2 hours and 20 plus minutes. I guess viewers satisfaction isn't important to the CSI people. Thumbs down on the match and the video. One problem is that these guys are NOT straight pool players - 90% of their play is rotation - 9 ball and 10 ball. If you want to see how straight pool is meant to be played go look at Mike Siegal and all the old masters. Such an elegant game reduced to mere shot making. No pattern play - no thinking really just take the next shot that presents itself. It would be very interesting if there were a way to track how many feet the cue ball travels in this match and then compare that to a match between two old masters of the game.

[@VeritasForYou]

That rule with intentional foul is stupid, in our league we play with "option rule", you let you opponent play after he does a foul, or continue yourself, that eliminates those stupid awkward "tactical" bullshit which is bad for TV

[@s98715]

tactics in games are "bullshit." ok...