World Cup of Pool

I spent 3 days in Manila and watched the last half of the World Cup of Pool. It was an exciting event, made more so by the enthusiasm of the Filipino fans. I took a bunch of photos. Let me say that the event was well produced and the officials were just that: competent & official. The rules were the same as any pro 9 ball event with the exception of the break. A legal break required that three balls to pass the headstring (the line we break behind) or the necessary three would be reduced by the number of balls pocketed. Two balls passing the line and one pocketed would also be legal. This rule is to eliminate the soft break. In this photo, Imran Majid (left) and Darren Appleton consult with each other on the current layout.

An illegal break would not result in ball in hand. However, the breaking team would have to give up their turn at the table even if a ball was pocketed. The incoming team would then have the option of giving the shot back or taking it, similar to a push out. However, whoever ended up with the first shot after the break would still be allowed to push.

In the early stages of the tournament this didn't come into play very often but as the table got more use and the number of spectators increased (along with the humidity) the table slowed down a lot and at times it seemed that some players simply couldn't hit the rack hard enough to comply with this rule unless they pocketed a ball or two.

I've never played in or even watched a pro Scotch Doubles tournament format. At first, I wasn't sure I'd even like it. The 40 second shot clock (80 seconds after the break) with one 40 second extension per rack gave the players a little time to discuss the options. Two world class players putting their heads together made for a lot of very creative shots, especially in the safety play and sometimes in the cue ball position track.

31 countries were present and the home team is allowed to enter two teams for a total of 32 teams. Being held in the Philippines allowed the country's two current top players, Ronnie Alcano & Dennis Orcolla to make up Team Philippines "A" and pool legends and fan favorites Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante to be the "B" team. Some B team! Efren & Francisco won the inaugural WCOP in 2006.

Here's what I saw: The "next" and "previous" arrows are within the photos.

View Photos of the Event