St.Andrews Cup 2000--Hendry VS Davis

[CorrectionPen]

is the guy in the red steve davis?

[jewturna]

Hendry makes it look so easy

[555pontifex]

I used to play a lot of snooker. I can remember the first time I played on a pool table and thinking 'wehey... pockets like buckets and a tiny table'.... a snooker player cannot miss a pot on a pool table. It's like childs play.

[skaven2100]

Hendry was at the height of his snooker skill in 2000, whereas now he's on the decline, never the less he shows here what a great 9 ball player he was then. maybe he should focus on 9ball when he does decide to retire from competitive snooker.

[visionaire08]

If anyone knows where to get full matches from this tournament, please message me! It will be worth your while!

[13713]

Snooker is the most difficult game played on an english billiards table, whilst 9 ball is the most infantile game played on a pool table. Full rack banks, one pocket or 15 ball rotation are games snooker players will stand no chance against an experienced pool player such as Reyes, not only because of the strategy involved, but simply due to lack of "table knowledge".

[jasminetomcat]

anyone competing at top level snooker obviously has incredible potting skill, but the top 9 ball players know the game of 9 ball inside and out - all the nuances of the game - not that a snooker player couldnt learn them too, but if a great snooker player decides to start playing 9 ball, there is still a learning curve - plus, some techniques, like jump shots, take a long time to really master. furthermore, even great snooker players cant compete once they get too old - vision deteriorates

[PomBare]

You could put the top 100 pool players (minus Drago, Hann etc) and put them up against the top 100 snooker players, and you will find in a hundred 9 ball matches the score would be competitive. In snooker, I can guarantee the score would be 100 - 0 to the snooker players

[shawerr111]

what huge pockets. 6:54 shot would not have been anywhere near on the tables I practice on.

[mosconiac]

Wait, pool is easier than snooker? So you're saying it's easier to run (at most) 9 balls on a 9' pool table than it is to run 36 balls (147) on a 12' snooker table?!? I suppose you're right, but I'll need a few more years to ponder such a complex idea.

[bertiejr]

@mosconiac you're being sarcastic, yes

[eastcoastchris]

@mosconiac Hmm, running 36 balls in 9 ball (i.e. a "4 pack") can't be that hard, as I've done it a few times, but my high break in snooker (12' table) is a 93, which, at least for me, is a much more impressive/rewarding accomplishment.... So, yes, I agree with most everyone that snooker is a superior game, to 9-ball.

[theodorehui]

HISTORY, sosad ><

[pepamethodman]

That was sick

[clayton1979]

why is machala tabb on 90% of pool and snooker videos? does she have a twin sister with the same name? or mabye a clone? is she really that available? I saw a video where she is married and has kids so how does she have so much time to travel the world and referee pool and snooker?

[scubba777]

Though I will side with those saying "snooker is a more difficult game," I would like to say this. This match was a legendary Snooker player (Hendry) vs Another legendary snooker player (Davis) and if either of then was to play a 9-ball specialist (at this stage in the game) like Reyes, they would be eaten up. Just as Reyes would if he was to play either of them at snooker.

[jarhat]

@scubba777 Perfectly stated. Really can't stand the arguments between pool & snooker. If you argue one is more difficult than the other you are only displaying your ignorance for both disciplines.

[tonywsmith2]

This should come as no surprise. And he doesn't even seem to be using a pool cue. Note the small tip. That again his ability to adapt easily to a far simply game (my game, I admit) shoulc come as no surprise.

[stevenuge87]

And as for the difference in stance, snooker tables are a bit higher than pool tables and much easier to employ his normal snooker stance. Due to the pool table being lower, it's a bit harder to keep a fully erect right leg into the shot. It causes some extra strain on the hamstrings.

[stevenuge87]

And as for knowledge of the game, I would say just in this small segment, he showed a great deal of knowledge of spin and the rails and the reaction of the balls to each other.

[stevenuge87]

Haha, wow! That was certainly an enjoyable session of 9-ball to watch. One thing is for sure: you will not see many break and run outs made to look that quick and easy. It's a pity that Stephen has not found American pocket billiards more beneficial to pick up. If he were to devote as much time to it as Allison Fisher or Karen Corr, that would have changed the complexion of the pool world for sure.

[claxxons]

Hendry actually is a pretty handy pool player. He knows his patterns and break. But too many money in Snooker for him to play more :). Could be fun to se though

[comicuzinho]

this game is for pussies...

[darksinthe]

lol coming from someone who probably cant even make a proper bridge let alone aim. go throw your bowling balls, neandrathal

[dodibansp]

FUCK INTERNET DISCUSSIONS!

[OPaivio]

Snooker players may be competent even superior when it comes to pure shotmaking. But the game of pool is not only shotmaking. Safety play and tactics in pool demand knowledge. Knowledge comes from experience. Take Efren for eample, he's the incarnation of pool knowledge. That's why Ronnie couldn't beat him playing straight pool or 1 pocket. And as much as I admire Ronnie, he's human too. He's game is vulnerable, as we've seen so many times over the past few years.

[jackeees]

that means that if hendry started playing pool profesionally now, after five years when he learns the safety play and pool tactics as you said, he would be the number one pool player

[OPaivio]

How dumb do you have to be to compare 1 frame of snooker to 1 rack of 9-ball? Let's see how snooker players fair against top 1pocket players. I reckon they don't stand a chance.

[OPaivio]

In a number of years yes, I think he could be among the best. If he put his mind into it. So could Ronnie and a number of others. But the money in pool is nothing compared to snooker so that's not gonna happen.

[GDL188]

American pool tables are a joke lmao

the pockets are actually buckets lol

any table where you can hit the cushion first and then still pot is pointless

[darksinthe]

lol, ok dude. go pro then say that.

[maxus15]

Is Hendry playing with a snooker cue? Is that possible?

[kikolovex3]

the way they stand... wth

[darksinthe]

hehe the guy in the blue shirt kinda stands like a woman doesnt he

[eddrumkee]

"the guy in the blue shirt"? you mean stephen hendry? - the most succesful player of all time.

[Norrbacka]

Yeah but they play on bad tables, that brunswick shit... play on those european championsship tables instead, then you play real pool, its strange that WC plays on brunswick. To many break'n'runs then

[lasercombo]

the pocket is a joke, look at the red ball at 6:58.... lol..... missed by so much still can go in

[Norrbacka]

You snooker fanboys, ever heard of Efren Reyes, google it. he beat O'sulivan at snooker once, he also made some 147 breaks at training. So pool players can still play snooker very good, But generally i think that Snooker players are better at pool than pool players are at snooker. But if we look specially on o'sullivan, he tried pool, didnt succed. So If we are going to be fair to both sports we should look at them as two different sports

[red88alert]

efren also beat jimmy white the same day he beat ronnie made 3 centuries and he was using his pool cue!!!

[nugget147]

Efren never confirmed the story and it's been said that he was receiving a 25 point start.

Quinten Hann finished 16th out of 200 in the IPT with multiple cues and little practise, Tony Drago has won multiple pool events (winning none in snooker) as well as Daryl Peach, who was a pro snooker player, never got into the top 150 in the world, before giving it up and playing 9-ball where he won a World Championship.

Looking at it objectively, snooker players win out.

[uchihay2g]

You're right, the conversion is much easier from snooker to pool, but there are many good cueist in pool as well. Take for instance Alex Pagulayan. He made it to the semi finals and even beat former world number four Kirk Stevens and ran a couple of centuries and he started in pool first. Granted he may not be able to compete in the pro snooker circuit, but he can beat a world class snooker player in a race to 5 or so.

[Khik3]

You pool fanboys are funny. "The pool god efren reyes has made a maximum, so pool players can still play snooker very good..."

Efren reyes would also play incredible carom with a broom

[dongchinchin]

LMAO i NEVER see pool fans go into snooker vids and just start talking shit. its always the other way around. and for your information efren has beaten your god ronnie o sullivan FOR MONEY in snooker games. ALSO efren is a world class three cushion billiards player as well as other cue sports

[nugget147]

Ronnie v Efren - depends on who you believe.

Tony Drago, however, has won major pool events - something he couldn't manage in snooker. In televised matches, O'Sullivan, Davis, Hann, White, Peach etc have beaten all of pool's top players; Strickland, Reyes and so on.

Obviously snooker players are not favourite to beat pool players at their own game, but the transition is demonstrably easier from snooker to pool, and there are countless examples of this.

[dongchinchin]

trust me i watch snooker too. i know that when it comes to fundamentals snooker players are so fluid in their technique and form its amazing. that's why i think hendry is the greatest...he's not as super naturally gifted like ronnie but he works hard and look at how many titles he won.

9 ball pool a lot of pool pros themselves don't like it and think its based too much on luck and lucky breaks. that's why a top 100 player can beat the greatest of all time if he can get breaks going.

[s1llyvi3tb0i]

well, give me just ONE game/sport that does not involve luck...

[jackeees]

chess maybe..? even though i dont know the game much

[s1llyvi3tb0i]

well as u go deeper in chess, there's luck involved buddy. I mean, skills are crucial, but luck can still be a huge impact on the game.

[dongchinchin]

efren himself says 9 ball is his weakest game, and he's right, because his break isn't as good as say bustamante or jeff de luna/wu chia ching.

efrens best games are actually 15 ball rotation(yes, 15 balls in a row lol) and 14.1 balkline billiards. the difference is efren is world class in all cue sports, its amazing how he can manage his time between tournaments, money games, and playing snooker, billiards, and pool. i have no problem seeing the transition from snooker to pool is easier.

[dongchinchin]

in the beginning i couldn't believe efren beat ronnie and jimmy in snooker for money, but again i didn't know he played snooker. in snooker, usually the better player wins. 9 ball anyone can get lucky. 9 ball isn't meant to be the hardest pool game, but it is popular because the matches are quick and entertaining to the viewer, unlike say one pocket and straight pool. straight pool and one pocket are the hardest pool games, especially on a custom tight pocket table.

[johnykoop]

Americans need to start respecting snooker players more. Its like tiger woods playing minigolf... yeh sure there are better mini golf players but that mini golf player couldnt beat tiger at the real thing. same with snooker and pool

[s1llyvi3tb0i]

or maybe snooker players should shut the hell up and stop bragging about how their games are better than pool and they're better players

[Niksana951]

I like to see how snooker players are playing pool because i enjoy them much more then the pool players.Technique,bridge,tacti­cs.....

[flobingood]

A snooker player can clear a pool table

But a pool player cant clear a snooker table

[red88alert]

many snooker players cant even clear a snooker table but it doesnt matter efren has beaten ronnie and jimmy white at snooker with his pool cue!!!

[bertiejr]

@flobingood a snooker player can FART a rack of 9ball in his sleep.

[Norrbacka]

@flobingood Not true, but generally, it is true. Most proffesionals in pool would not clean a snooker table. Nearly, and hopefully, every Snooker pro will clean a pool table. But if we are going to be very fair in compariation. What is the hardest thing potting 100 balls in 14.1 on a pool table (tournament holes, "tight pocket") or making 100 points in snooker in a tournament. This time, I believe pool wins. But making beyond 147 points or a world rekord i 14.1, that is a lot harder imo to decid

[vincentwu]

@flobingood no doubt snooker is a harder game compared to 9 ball.. generally speaking.. however not all racks of 9 ball are equal, there are difficult racks to run even by top players which requires much mroe precision than the normal layout. there are more games to pool than 9 ball though. would top snooker players perform well against one pocket players? or rotation?

[vincentwu]

@flobingood why not compare snooker players to 3 cushion players. i am sure 3 cushion players would do better on a snooker table relatively to snooker players playing 3 cushion. or why don't snooker players compete in 14.1 competition? very similar game to snooker, but it requires a greater deal of precision with the cue ball. stop talking like snooker players run the whole rack easily. in fact it is not even that common of an occurrence.

[jwpretd]

@vincentwu Actually, in 1988 Steve Davis beat Steve Miserak at straight pool. Miserak and Eva Mataya played a series of exhibition matches against Davis and Fisher, playing both snooker and pool. I don't remember the overall result exactly, but it wasn't good for the pool players. I believe two Miserak vs Davis games are on YouTube (one 14.1 and one snooker). Davis won both.

[outdoorpooltable]

@jwpretd davis did not beat mizerak at straight pool. That would be obvious to you if you had watched the videos you mentioned. Mizerak won the challenge overall but imo (having played both games to a reasonable level) snooker players are far more skilled

[TheLwebber69]

@outdoorpooltable davis did win the straight pool. ive seen the youtube videos mate.

[vincentwu]

@flobingood anyways, not trying to start an argument or anything. i do agree that it is very easy to adapt to 9 ball. hell, blomdahl has beaten efren reyes in 9 ball. however, if a pool player played a snooker player in a game of 9 ball race to 120, u will realize there is a big gap after all. from a potting perspective undoubtly snooker players are going to be better, but who is to say that pool players can not transform to snooker and succeed?

[vincentwu]

@flobingood u might argue that pool players dont try to play snooker, that is because it isn't an accessible sport for most players. there are rarely any snooker tables in america, philippines, or taiwan, arguably the top 3 non-european countries in pool. if they spent the amount of time they did playing pool in snooker, who is to argue that they can't succeed just as easily? however, snooker events are a lot more exclusive than pool , so most pool players will stick to playing pool

[jimbojimjs]

@flobingood then there isn't any good pool player in your area.

[lazymuthafukka]

@flobingood yeah hate to admit that but it is the truth.

[red88alert]

@flobingood 9ball isnt the only game in pool smartass...i bet that no snooker player can clear the table in a game of rotation XD lol

[mitosinuca]

@red88alert yeah, or clean the table in one pocket, or run 200 in straight pool, the list goes on and on

[red88alert]

@mitosinuca see you know wassup :)

[mitosinuca]

@flobingood a lot of pool player were snooker players too, mika immonen has made more than 100 century breaks, u should check your facts before posting stupid comments

[vahlrog]

impressive to see how it seems incredibly easy for them -snooker players- to play pool.......

[namsook]

scotland vs england on pool, weirdest thing on pool, haha

[SodatSobat]

I'm not British or American. I'm from Asia. I say Snooker players are great in pool especially the British. But not necessarily stronger in every aspect of the game as mentioned. I feel they can take on the best but i agree snooker competitions are more lucrative which makes it more worthwhile. Snooker is a harder game than 9 ball definately.

[shawerr111]

Ronnie or Stephen would crush shane van boeing in pool.

[pnesam07]

rubbish

hendry is utter crap at 9ball pool

[02cohenj]

i dont know about u but what i just see seemed fluent position to me, they cant jump cos thats illegal in snooker and they cant break cos there is no need for a shot that hard in snooker, but with a little practice they could probably master all of those things, so to say he is crap at 8 ball because of that is pretty stupid, id like to see you play 8 ball or snooker as well as they do

[thesnookerplanet]

you cannot compare snooker with pool

snooker is 1000x harder and in pool you could be a very good player just with a little bit of practice

[red88alert]

there are many more amazing shots played on a pool table than ive seen on a snooker table so pool is more exciting!!!

[gaz28885]

phixxwutwut, these snooker players that play 9 ball don't play the game full time. Look at the ladies game Alison Fisher and Karen Corr by far the best two nine ball players after they stopped playing snooker and took 9 ball up full time.

[belmicah]

They pocket balls well, but they can't break or jump. I would put up all of my money against ANY snooker player in the world to take on Shane Van Boening

[zsoulja786]

Tony Drago perhaps? He is a snooker player but will probably make the transition to pool full time soon

[kitakos2]

snooker players can be very competitive in a pool game, while for pool players is extrmely difficut even for making a centurie break

[phixxwutwut]

if theyre so much farther ahead of the competition, why dont they travel to the us and win the open and the various other 9-ball tournaments and take home a huge purse for a small amount of work?

[blasianz]

i think because they are making so much more money playing snnoker in england. i think most of the british pool players are either not good at snooker or getting old like davis who cant play snooker at very high level anymore.

[uchihay2g]

Davis is still in the top 32. I wouldn't say he can't compete at a high level.

[dieuxroux]

Oh well... they can't bank as well as pool players, they don't know how to use some spin shots, the rails are unknown for them, sefeties... But they sure can putt balls as well as the best pool players.

[dongchinchin]

true. their safeties, as witnessed here are pretty bad.

[Mrphilharmonic]

I would imagine pool is boring for a two geniuses with a cue. Hendry almost makes a mockery of it as you can tell by his expression after his break.

[11621]

they must be bored

[maverick3110]

Why is Stephen's stance different than when he plays snooker?

[9394baby]

should be easy for them