The Snooker Thread

[Yevrah]

Masters is on the BBC now, with Shaun Murphy having just lost a frame for 3 consecutive misses.

The lols.

[igor_balis]

I had an extensive drunken conversation with an old friend last night about how much we fucking love snooker. Genuinely think it might be my favourite sport to watch.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That 3 miss rule is a bit shit, the paying punters essentially get diddled out of a frame. I'd make him play the rest of the match in a tutu or something and just carry on.

Shaun Murphy sounded like a bit of a 'character' in that bizarre feature about old players being best in the mid-session interval, last I heard he was a born again Christian who cheated on his wife or some such.

[igor_balis]

The 3 miss rule is something which I was obsessed with as a weird child (now I'm just a weird adult, obviously). It was the holy grail, as was an indirect free kick in the box for a backpass or an unusual dismissal method in cricket.

Is Shaun Murphy universally disliked? I always had what I thought was an illogical problem with him, then I went on the snooker thread on another message board I frequent and everyone else there hated him too.

[Yevrah]

I quite like him, he's just a bit touched.

[Dark Soldier]

Yeah Murphy is an insufferable cunt, pretty much been that way since the chalk incident with Maguire. Hope he gets fucking destroyed the moon-faced God fucker.

[Dark Soldier]

http://i.imgur.com/1XQ8sRc.jpg

[Dark Soldier]

So the lesser wanker of the two won. Lol Murphy.

[John Arne]

Higgins on a 147.....

[John Arne]

Cursed it. He mised the next fecking red.

[John Arne]

Neil Robertson is actually wearing make-up in his match against Trump.

[Dark Soldier]

Trump v Robertson was amazing today.

[John Arne]

It really was. The quality was superb. Those guys make it look so fucking easy. Fuck me and my 13 top break.

[-james-]

Average of twelve minutes a frame at 3-3. You'd feel ripped off if you'd bought a ticket.

[John Arne]

I'm always surprised by how good Hawkins is. I think it's because he used to be such a top 32 plodder.

[niko_cee]

The balls are not running for Bingham at the moment.

[Yevrah]

That was cracking.

It's quite amazing how he can rock up after 6 months out, play in a PTC event and then get to the final here. Here's not even playing that well.

[Gray Fox]

He did it with the Worlds a few years ago didn't he?

I seem to remember he won it, claimed all but retirement and only came back for the tournament a year later. He even won it if memory serves.

[Yevrah]

He did.

[Gray Fox]

It's mental if you think about it.

Had he not lost against Selby a couple years back he could well have been in with a shot of matching Hendry at 7 Worlds. I do think that's going to be a little beyond him now though.

[Dark Soldier]

Just a reminder of how good O'Sullivan is when he's not being a moany fucker:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLk71tnNxOU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McThDshEgU0


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2di8RpAMNQQ

And this is him at 14, holy shit:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eri3U_4EYiM

[niko_cee]

The clearance to pinch that frame to make it 5-1, and then the red and clearance to win the final frame were ridiculously good.

[Yevrah]

What a total clearance that was.

[Yevrah]

That's the sort of session where if you're Hawkins you'd rather not turn up tonight.

[Yevrah]

The Rack Pack thing the beeb were trailing was actually alright.

[-james-]

Ronnie being an absolute prize bellend again today.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/35581281

[Gray Fox]

I understand he wants a protest, but that's just robbing the fans who paid to go. Yes he got a 146, but they probably wont ever see another break as high, live, infront of them again. It also shows him turning his nose up at £10,000 for about 10 mins work.

[Toby]

I understand he wants a protest, but that's just robbing the fans who paid to go..

How? That's as memorable a moment as a maximum break would be, perhaps even more so.

[igor_balis]

I don't really think what he did was inherently terrible, but it is clearly the behaviour of a total weirdo showing off rather than a noble protest.

[-james-]

I understand he wants a protest, but that's just robbing the fans who paid to go. Yes he got a 146, but they probably wont ever see another break as high, live, infront of them again. It also shows him turning his nose up at £10,000 for about 10 mins work.


It's particularly odd when you take the stuff he's been posting about on twitter into account.

[-james-]

He's on ridiculous form here though.

[Toby]

Paddy Power have offered him £60k if he does get a maximum now. That would make for pretty good TV.

[Disco]

Robbing the fans? If not for the 'We aren't customers...' rubbish that would be the most melodramatic crap I'd read in ages.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It seems fairly logical to me. The pink was easier, he wanted to know if the prize was worth the risk of taking on a trickier black, he decided it wasn't and knocked in a 146 instead which wins him the frame and surely the high break prize.

[Toby]

Having now seen the video, I'd agree with that. The way some were talking I thought he turned down an easy tap in, but the black was barely on.

[-james-]

It seems fairly logical to me. The pink was easier, he wanted to know if the prize was worth the risk of taking on a trickier black, he decided it wasn't and knocked in a 146 instead which wins him the frame and surely the high break prize.

Was it not the last colour left to pot? So the frame had been won a while ago.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Was it not the last colour left to pot? So the frame had been won a while ago.

Yeah but there's still the high break prize. Plus it's Ronnie, he's a bit different. He's done some knobhead stuff (walking out of that match against Hendry years ago being number one) but this is hardly worth jail time.

[Yevrah]

Having now seen the video, I'd agree with that. The way some were talking I thought he turned down an easy tap in, but the black was barely on.

The black wasn't on because he didn't play to get on it.

I'm not fussed that he turned going for the 147 down, but he could have made one had he wanted to.

[John]

I caught some of that 'Snooker Shootout' thing the darts bloke has been doing the other night and it was hateful. 'Pub Golf' twats passing pints along in the crowd and songs for the players being the most egregious offences.

It's just not a sport suited to that stuff.

[Gray Fox]

It seems fairly logical to me. The pink was easier, he wanted to know if the prize was worth the risk of taking on a trickier black, he decided it wasn't and knocked in a 146 instead which wins him the frame and surely the high break prize.


Having now seen the video, I'd agree with that. The way some were talking I thought he turned down an easy tap in, but the black was barely on.

Having seen it fully myself now I'd agree with this. I was told about it in such a way that it sounded like he went out of his way to avoid a tap-in black.

He would still have made it but would have been tougher.

[Smiffy]

.....

[phonics]

This piece he linked to the other day on him is one of the best pieces of sports writing I've read in ages.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/03/30/follow-the-white-ball

[Disco]

What's the twitter stuff about?

[phonics]

He got conned out of 150 grand and is trying to bring the bloke to justice.

[John Arne]

This piece he linked to the other day on him is one of the best pieces of sports writing I've read in ages.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/03/30/follow-the-white-ball

Yeah, I read that the other month. Great piece.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I find O'Sullivan endlessly fascinating. Take this interview after today's match:


Englishman O'Sullivan, 40, had little trouble beating China's Yu Delu by the same score.

"I'm pleased to still be in the tournament. No matches here are a gimme," said O'Sullivan.

"John Higgins, the second greatest player I have ever seen, has been beaten. It takes a top player to have a slightly off day and you are going out."

O'Sullivan lost the opening frame when Yu fluked a re-spotted black.

"Yu Delu is a brilliant player so I was a bit nervous at the start," said O'Sullivan.

"I maybe was giving him a little bit too much respect. I lost the first frame but got some momentum going after."

Now I've not seen much of Yu Delu, but if Ronnie isn't bullshitting us, then at the age of 28, a current world ranking of 54 and his best ranking result being a quarter-final at the 2011 Wuxi Classic I find it quite amazing that such an opponent prompts him to be 'nervous' and give him 'too much respect'.

[Yevrah]

Watching O'Sullivan vs. Selby and the former's in frightening form.

[Yevrah]

And that's it.

The way he turned what wasn't really an opportunity into a total clearance was phenomenal.

[Yevrah]

Robertson vs. O'Sullivan in the Welsh Open final about to start on regional BBC, BBC Online and Eurosport.

Can never guarantee these things, but it really should be a cracker.

[Toby]

O'Sullivan is off to a really bad start. Can see Robertson going in three or four up at the interval.

[John Arne]

Surprised the ref forget the 3 miss rule then. Wonder what would have happened had Robertson not reminded him until after the shot (had Ronnie missed it).

[Toby]

Looking like quite the bottle job from Robertson now.

[Yevrah]

Robertson has tossed this away so hard.

Those two ludicrous long pot attempts were just bonkers.

[Yevrah]

The World Grand Prix (no, I've no idea what that means either..) is on ITV4 now.

Higgins against Maguire, followed by Ronnie against Michael Holt.

[Giggles]

World Championships kicking off this morning, I hadn't realised.

Bingham v Carter on BBC2 at the moment.

[John Arne]

Marco Fu still knocking around. He must 63.

[John Arne]

I've been playing a lot of pool lately, and am now a pretty decent player. However, it seems to have massively impacted my snooker game - I played today and was fucking awful.

[Ian]

I've never had opportunity to play enough snooker to become any good at it.

Had a game of pool recently where I potted all seven and the black in succession. The cue ball control was actually intentional as well and only one of the shots had any element of luck. I was buzzing.

I do like watching the World Championship so I'll be getting in on some of this today.

[John Arne]

I'm starting the "best natural potter' tea drinking game. Every time a commentator says "when he's playing well, he's one of the best natural potters in the game", I take a sip of my earl grey.

I'm wearing a bow tie, too.

[Giggles]

Terry Griffiths commentating on Peter Ebdon playing.

I'm out.

[John Arne]

Hong Kong Fuey keeping Ebdon off the table :drool:

[Yevrah]

This is classic Murphy. Off the boil but still going for everything. Twat.

[John Arne]

I was reminded of Stephen Lee the other day.

Urgh.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Murphy losing that is an absolute shambles.

Gives Ronnie an absolute cruise to the semis as well, although I guess the Hawk is a decent match player, whatever that is.

[Yevrah]

Ricky Walden is presiding over an absolute masterclass of shit on the red button right now.

[Yevrah]

This is genuinely some of the worst snooker I've ever seen, yet it's strangely appealing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Just put it on. I fucking love Ricky Walden.

[Jimmy Floyd]

These little features they do in the mid-session intervals are absolute bollocks. Where do they even find the music?

[Yevrah]

You're in for a treat Jim.

13 frames in and neither player has yet compiled a break sizeable enough to take a frame in one visit. :drool:

[Yevrah]

Like that opening shot Jim?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, magical stuff.

No way he opens these up without breaking down.

[Jimmy Floyd]

How is this pillock 7-6 up?

[Giggles]

Stupid fucking Virgin Media doesn't have BBC red button here.

[Yevrah]

Because Walden has been that bad.

It just gets better. :D

Hendry's exasperation is brilliant.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Surely 10-7 Walden from here. Even though he missed one by a foot in that frame.

[Yevrah]

You'd think.

Robbie Williams has gone from bad to looking like he's having some sort of mental episode.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Normal service resumed in this frame, just as Walden looked like pissing it.

[Yevrah]

I haven't seen any of it but is Michael Holt playing as well as the frame scores suggest? I saw him beat Ronnie in one of the piss ant tournaments a few weeks back and he was seriously on it then as well.

[Giggles]

Are BBC just sticking all this on the red button now? I've seen nothing live since the weekend.

[-james-]

I haven't seen any of it but is Michael Holt playing as well as the frame scores suggest? I saw him beat Ronnie in one of the piss ant tournaments a few weeks back and he was seriously on it then as well.

He's been good, Robertson nowhere near his best though.

Robbo's woken up at 9-4 though. Surely not.

[-james-]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dBKNgzmOcQ

Prick.

[John Arne]

I was expecting a mega rant complaining about kicks and stuff.... there was nothing too harsh in what he said. Gave Holt credit for his win.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I didn't realise Ding had shat his way outside the top 16. Oh dear.

I quite want Ronnie to win this. Whether he will is debatable.

[igor_balis]

Liang Wenbo is playing godlike snooker. Just stuck £5 e/w on him winning the whole thing. Dare to dream.

[-james-]

Yep, what a machine.

[igor_balis]

Outstanding session of snooker, that. The son of some bloke I used to work with at Asda got a couple of tickets for it, lucky bastards.

[Yevrah]

The quality overall has been pretty spesh so far.

[Giggles]

Eurosport has it live, only copped when I accidentally went up from SSN. You've all been a top help.

[Yevrah]

Ding. :nono:

[John Arne]

I used to like Ding, but the last few years I have really gone off him. He has this attitude when something doesn't go his way that the whole world is against him.

[Yevrah]

To be fair to him, about 1/6th of it is...

[Yevrah]

Fair play to him here, at 6-8 down he looked gone.

[Yevrah]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syxIoYjuKls

Hearn's been speaking today. He's so good.

[Yevrah]

Davis' retirement interview.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Borcrhfc3xQ&nohtml5=False

As I said a couple of years back, these are great.

[John Arne]

By 'these', do you mean Hearn and Davis?

[Yevrah]

Videos of the press conferences is general.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hearn is basically a genius. Six or eight years ago it had no real right not to die a slow death, but looking through the draw this year there are strong players everywhere, and players you want to watch. No idea how he's turned it around.

[Yevrah]

He alludes in that video to a further press conference on 28th, which will outline what he wants to do over the next 6 years.

I should imagine Peter Ebdon won't be happy. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

You have to hand it to Peter Ebdon. Surely the most awkward cunt in sport, and he's been doing it for over twenty years now.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6SpM7TizeU

[igor_balis]

I'm starting the "best natural potter' tea drinking game. Every time a commentator says "when he's playing well, he's one of the best natural potters in the game", I take a sip of my earl grey.

I'm wearing a bow tie, too.

Well, when he's in his yard he's the best pure potter in snooker entertainment.

[Sam]

Hearn is basically a genius. Six or eight years ago it had no real right not to die a slow death, but looking through the draw this year there are strong players everywhere, and players you want to watch. No idea how he's turned it around.

Didn't he perform the same miracle with Darts where it's pretty much a sell out at every venue now?

[igor_balis]

Liang has deffo fucked it.

[John Arne]

Liang has deffo fucked it.

Just switched on. How on earth is there 6 red balls in the baulk?

[Jimmy Floyd]

That's what happens when I play. Yellow blocking the black all frame. 40 each in penalty points.

[John Arne]

Out of interest, do you guys ever make your mates ever take more than one attempt at a snooker? We generally give each other 4 or 5 attempts just to see if we can do it, but only take one foul.

[John Arne]

Also, the rules say that you can't lay a snooker when you have a free ball - however, what if you snooker them by accident whilst taking a free ball shot? Free ball to the opposition?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Free ball to them yeah, even if it's an accident.

I never make them put the ball back.

[John Arne]

Virgo furious with the ref :)

[John Arne]

Free ball to them yeah, even if it's an accident.

I never make them put the ball back.

Not even once? I find it to be good practise for the angles. And more importantly, an opportunity to laugh at how shit you both are. Also making the guys put the balls back here is a good lol.

[John Arne]

Trump looks a little like Lallana.

[igor_balis]

I enjoyed the commentators having an aneurysm over the pink placement. Trump was brilliant today, but I'm not a massive fan.

[John Arne]

There is no way that Mark Williams isn't going to take his own life within the next 3 years.

[John Arne]

Apparently 'break building' is one of Marco Fu's strong suits.

Which player currently in the Top 32 doesn't have break building as one of their strong suits?

[Jimmy Floyd]

'Under strengths, you've just put 'snooker'.'

[igor_balis]

Apparently 'break building' is one of Marco Fu's strong suits.

Which player currently in the Top 32 doesn't have break building as one of their strong suits?

I think the point is that he's particularly good when he's 'in amongst the balls' compared to other players, and relative to the rest of his game (he hasn't got much cue power for example). They have that 'PROFESSIONAL VIEW' thing, where they get other players to give insights into the strengths of a player. For Marco Fu, Judd Trump said something like 'his technique isn't the best'. Bit harsh, mate.

Personally I quite like having anomalies like Fu who just caresses stuff in. The modern style of smashing in long range pots and fucking off slow safety play was a lot more exciting in the context of more meticulous, slow players back in the day and with tighter pockets and slower cushions. Guess it is comparable to how it is a lot less fun seeing cricketers heave stuff over cow corner for 6 in the context of 20/20 cricket with shorter boundaries and massive bats.

[Yevrah]

Ronnie's basically got a bye to the semi's now.

[John Arne]

How on earth can you go into the Crucible, manage to ignore all the pre-match reminders, and still not put your phone on silent. You are either stupid or ignorant, or likely both.

[niko_cee]

Trump appears to be playing like an absolute twat against Ding. Does he ever practice using the rest?

Never heard of this Kylo Ren guy who's giving fatman Allen a bit of a fisting on the other table.

[Disco]

Is Trump still wearing shoes that look like they used to be one of Hammers' sextoys? He deserves to lose just for that.

[John Arne]

The BBC have just run a feature on Rob the PA guy - and pretty much every player to a man said it that the nicknames were a load of shit and would just prefer the names. They then had Rob in for interview and he recalled bantz between him and the player.

[Shindig]

Alan Angles McManus.

[Disco]

Rob Walker? He come across as someone who would be face crushingly annoying after about 5 minutes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Rob always impresses me in managing to sound just as enthusiastic and find just as shit an intro for the likes of Barry Hawkins as he does for blink and you'll miss him Ronnie the rocket O'Sullivan.

Nobody comes up with cool nicknames like 'the Rocket' in sport anymore. It's all just puns on their name or nationality.

[Disco]

It's a skill in that context but imagine if he was that into pencil sharpeners or curtain hooks. Also, I seem to remember only the best (or interestingly ethnic) players used to get a moniker, there's no way Alain Robidoux or Dave Harold would have gotten one.

[John Arne]

You are obviously forgetting about the quite excellent Ray Hudson..

"Here is the Dark Prince....."

[Disco]

I don't know an excellent Ray Hudson, only the shrieking tosser one.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Judd Trump, a player who invites a cool nickname if ever one did, is called 'The Ace in the Pack'. Sounds like a shit airport thriller.

[Yevrah]

The pockets genuinely appear to be like buckets at this year's event.

[Gray Fox]

Hawkins was 2 up with 3 to play at 12-10 but Ronnie has just pulled it back, nervously to 12-12. Hawkins will be unfortunate not to go through here.

[Gray Fox]

Decider was one of those frames where it's so safety oriented that most of the reds end up by the top cushion. Hawkins got in for a 40 odd break but then it broke down, but the table was in a mess. Ronnie managed to move things around into a frame winning chance and then binned the white into the corner pocket to hand Hawkins the match. He was seething in his chair.

[Giggles]

Wide open now. Anyone bar Higgins please.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The fucking state of that top half of the draw. Ding plus three people who were at their peak the best part of 20 years ago.

The bottom half meanwhile is just a complete shitfest. Fu's year.

[niko_cee]

He's running riot over THE HAWK at the moment.

How old is Marco Fu? It feels like he's been around forever and still looks about 15.

Meanwhile Bazza just holed a red off the break (you wot?) and then missed the easiest positional shot in snooker history, which probably explains the stomping.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fu is 38. Older than Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Manny Pacquiao, and Bubba Watson.

[niko_cee]

The state of this frame. Marco's caught Hawkitis by the looks of it.

[niko_cee]

Was just about to say Fu was in danger of wandering into shitthebedville, but then the hawk went and missed a regulation red . . .

[niko_cee]

Oh no, there we are. Straight blue of it's spot missed. He's a resident.

[Yevrah]

Alan McManus. :sick:

On the plus side, this Hawkins/Fu match is a cracker.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What was the Hawk doing going 7-1 down to Fu in the first place?

[Yevrah]

Mentally knackered from the win over Ronnie I'd suggest.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's playing liquid snooker now, given the situation. Even if all the long ones are going in like it's a pool table.

[Yevrah]

He was properly good against Ronnie as well.

So,

McManus vs. Ding Junhui
Fu vs. Selby

A Ding/Fu final would be great, the alternative, not so much.

[niko_cee]

Selby will probably crush all-comers, sadly.

That clearance from Fu was something else given the circumstances. The one at 9-10 was just as good as well, and probably more important.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What the fuck is McManus doing in the semis? I've not seen any of his games but assume he's the same old grinding fuck that he has been since the mid 1990s.

[Yevrah]

He is. He's also somehow more miserable than he was back then too, even when he's winning.

The amount of old gits doing well over the last couple of years just points to the newer players not being able to go from a best of 7/11 in most tournaments to a best of 19/25 etc, as they barely get any experience of the latter or longer format matches at all.

[John Arne]

It must be pretty strange for people tuning into snooker for the first time. My missus just asked me "why are there wearing suits?". It's a good question... blokes essentially wearing dinner suits playing 'sport'.

Selby to win this 17-8, as much as I'd like Fu to.

[niko_cee]

McManus really shouldn't take on so many doubles.

Meffing that last frame up has probably cost him any chance tomorrow.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd quite like Ding to win it from here really. Sometimes the big prize comes when you least expect it.

[niko_cee]

That's fortune cookie material right there.

[Disco]

I quite like McManus, he's my type of boring git, but I can't see him beating Mao ZeDing from here. A Fu/Ding final would be pretty great, bring back James Wattana and make it a triple threat.

[-james-]

This Selby - Fu match has been a total disgrace all the way through. When one of them wakes up they'll win 8 frames on the trot.

[niko_cee]

The shit-off continues.

[Disco]

That Ding century they replayed was brilliant, given the amount of mistakes these two are making you have to fancy him to win it.

[CJay]

Why is the crowd so keen to applaud every single shot? Turning into a Wimbledon-esque atmosphere. :sick:

And there should be no mercy for those twats who can't keep their phones on silent. I think there's been four instances of one going off so far this evening.

[Disco]

It's mental isn't it, you;d think when one went off you'd check yours just to be sure. If only to avoid what must be the soul crushing embarrassment of having yours start ringing or something.

[Disco]

Fucking hell, Selby is trying to give this away.

[Lee]

He needs to keep up his end of the bargain. We're likely to win the league, the basketball team has won the league and cup, and he can win the world title. Even the cricket team look a bit better than shit. Tigers aren't winning the play offs so they can bollocks. We need a new SPORTING CAPITAL statue in the city centre.

[Disco]

"No-one saw that coming"

Really Denis, really? What have you been watching?

[Ian]

Looked to my inexpert eye like Ding massively overthought that.

[-james-]

"No-one saw that coming"

Really Denis, really? What have you been watching?

Him and Virgo have become unbearable to me. Proper light bulb moment today when I remembered I had access to Eurosport.

[niko_cee]

Does that old lady sitting behind the players have some sort of lifetime claim on that seat? She's always in it.

[niko_cee]

It would be good if Ding could at least get into a winning position to massively bottle things from (inevitable) rather than just doing it from the outset.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The way things are going, the Selbster and Leicester could win at almost the same moment tomorrow.

[Disco]

Does that old lady sitting behind the players have some sort of lifetime claim on that seat? She's always in it.

She's asleep half the time too.

[Ian]

Has Ding had an easy run or is he just bottling the fuck out of this?

[Gray Fox]

He's been on fire until now. Major bottle job here.

[Giggles]

Jesus I just checked the score there and expected to see 10-1 or something by the talk here.
4-0 in a best of 35 :D

[-james-]

Feel like I'm watching Selby vs Hamza Akbar in the round of 128 here, to be honest.

[Gray Fox]

Jesus I just checked the score there and expected to see 10-1 or something by the talk here.
4-0 in a best of 35 :D

It'll be 18-0 to Selby if Ding continues like he is.

[Yevrah]

In a best of 35 there's bound to come a time when Ding strings some frames together. 5-0 is nothing.

[Dark Soldier]

Ding is a known bottle, remember him almost crying versus Ronnie a while back? This is no surprise.

[Spikey M]

Jesus I just checked the score there and expected to see 10-1 or something by the talk here.
4-0 in a best of 35 :D

5-0 and Ding hadn't potted a ball in over 200 points.

[Yevrah]

Ding is a known bottle, remember him almost crying versus Ronnie a while back? This is no surprise.

Oh I'm not saying he's going to win or anything, and he's been mentally broken since Ronnie did that to him, but talk of 18-0 or even losing with a session to spare (at this stage) is premature.

[Yevrah]

5-0 and Ding hadn't potted a ball in over 200 points.

Potted a ball in over 200 points.

That's a new one. :D

[Dark Soldier]

6-0 incoming

[niko_cee]

Has Selby even played well in any of this? Everytime I flick over he seems to be missing something or Ding is (was) ostensibly in.

Hopefully he can build on that shot.

[Disco]

We're back to The Shit Off: World Final Edition.

[niko_cee]

Oh for fucks sake. It's going to be (1)8-0.

[niko_cee]

Jesus. This is almost beyond belief.

[Disco]

That old lady in the crowd would have more than one on the board by now.

[Dark Soldier]

The comeback is on!

[Gray Fox]

Signs of life at last.

[niko_cee]

Nice to see them upping the shit-off ante in the second session.

[Giggles]

This is diabolical. Like two half cut fellas down the snooker club.

[Gray Fox]

That miscue from Selby is something you don't see often with the pros. Something I usually end up doing.

[Lee]

I can't warm to Ding. He just has the demeanour of a deviant. I reckon he's wearing stockings and suspenders under his trousers. Rubbing himself up against the table when there's an awkward pot on.

[Disco]

If this was twenty years ago and the plot of a film he would be the emotionless communist automaton.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Selbster is way too tough to lose this.

Love his fellow townsman Willie Thorne laying into 'the likes of Trump and Murphy' there.

[Boydy]

I can't warm to Ding. He just has the demeanour of a deviant. I reckon he's wearing stockings and suspenders under his trousers. Rubbing himself up against the table when there's an awkward pot on.

:D

[igor_balis]

https://snookerbacker.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ding.jpg

what a guy

[Disco]

Now we know where he got the herpes from.

[Gray Fox]

I don't think a single one of Ken Dohertys examples on the practice table of what player x 'should have done' has actually come off.

[Yevrah]

In a best of 35 there's bound to come a time when Ding strings some frames together. 5-0 is nothing.

I really should start putting money on this shit. I could have made a fortune from this match buying and selling both players, a fucking fortune. :moop:

[Yevrah]

Ding's so going to lose this frame now.

Selby is such a horrible bastard to play against.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I find these frames where it goes on for half an hour behind snookers strangely fascinating.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I have it on silent, was that not a miss? Why didn't he put it back?

[Yevrah]

I have it on silent, was that not a miss? Why didn't he put it back?

He needed snookers so the miss rule didn't apply.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Of course.

[Giggles]

They just get to the stage, as this one now has, that you just want to see someone fuck it up and get us on to the next frame.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm the opposite, I want it to continue for as long as possible. The nuggety Mark Selby needing snookers battle stands against the immediacy of modern life.

[Disco]

It's great, I could watch this all night.

[Giggles]

It's great, I could watch this all night.

I even switched back over to the shite home alone bit of Skyfall it's that bad.

[igor_balis]

I'm loving it too.

[Disco]

Hot lights, a crowd of predominantly older people, I'd love to know what proportion are asleep.

[Giggles]

Finally. Selby had enough chances too.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Keep playing Mark.

[igor_balis]

hate it when the cunty commentators can't resist making a stupid little joke when the players are about to take their shot, cus the twats with the headsets can never resist laughing. just fucking wait a second dickhead.

[Disco]

Don't get your hopes up.

During this frame alone you could have watch Ronnie's record 147 nine times.

[Lee]

These banners in the crowd need to fuck off.

[Disco]

hate it when the cunty commentators can't resist making a stupid little joke when the players are about to take their shot, cus the twats with the headsets can never resist laughing. just fucking wait a second dickhead.

Did you see the ref giving the commentary position the stink eye?

[Yevrah]

I love this stuff as much as the next man, but continuing to play when you need two snookers on the pink (even if you're capable of getting them) really is deviant behaviour.

[igor_balis]

Did you see the ref giving the commentary position the stink eye?

I did, it was glorious.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm sure I remember watching the record longest frame at the Crucible. I think it was Walden v Hawkins or similar. I'm sure Walden was involved anyway.

[Yevrah]

That dreadful semi-final from 2013?

[Giggles]

Was the longest not the other day?

[Disco]

I watched the new longest one yesterday, that was great too.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Having looked it up the actual record was from Selby v Fu the other night, which beat King and Maguire from 2009. I've definitely watched a Walden one well over an hour though. Probably in 2014 as I was unemployed in April that year and probably watched the whole tournament.

EDIT: Ricky Walden v Kyren Wilson that year.

[Disco]

How is that we've been to the moon but we can't get it together to work out what causes those kicks.

[igor_balis]

science or some shit

[Giggles]

Should they not have stopped at 16 frames?

[GS]

You'd see better play down the pub on a Friday night.

[igor_balis]

I think Selby genuinely was falling asleep when he had his eyes shut a second ago. He looks fucking shattered.

[Lee]

Yeah, he's shattered.

[Yevrah]

After the shit Selby pulled earlier I'd be playing for snookers until the black if I was Ding.

[Boydy]

hate it when the cunty commentators can't resist making a stupid little joke when the players are about to take their shot, cus the twats with the headsets can never resist laughing. just fucking wait a second dickhead.
The commentators' shit jokes and the crowd dickheads with the headsets laughing were really getting on my tits.

They should get rid of those headsets.

[niko_cee]

Ah, Jimmy and his stands against the immediacy of modern life.

Not too bad for Ding, although could have been better.

It annoys me how often they have the white ball cleaned. That's what probably causes all the kicks. Building up static on the white or something from all the rubbing. They seem to have increased in relative proportion. Was the white ball cleaned at all in O'Sullivan's speed record 147?

[John Arne]

How would static cause kicks (genuine question)?

I reckon it's the excessive chalking of the cue - and that chalk transferring to the white ball, meaning contact points aren't smooth.

[niko_cee]

Absolutely no idea. I just don't like cleaning the white after every shot.

[Giggles]

What's with the phones too? Seemed to be a lot worse than I've seen before.

Anyone with one or the first peep from one should be out the door no questions asked, and not let back in until next year if they buy tickets.

[-james-]

This is turning into a cracking final. I have about £700 on Ding now though which is tempering it somewhat.

[Giggles]

Selby has fucked this the twat.

[Gray Fox]

I went to bed at 11 last night with the score at 8-7. I can't believe they had them play another 2 frames.

Ding has done well to come back into this but I still fancy Selby to win. He just doesn't know when he's beat and has already taken at least 2 frames just in this match from pulling it out the bag.

[igor_balis]

This frame, man.

[igor_balis]

Selbz losing his shit with the kicks.

[Giggles]

Jesus, he took far too long over that pink and made some shit of it.

Though that's a nice recovery. Should be that.

[niko_cee]

Ding has given away an embarrassing number of frames in this. He would never have made that black himself.

[Giggles]

Some good stuff from Ding in this frame.

[Giggles]

Davis has to be my favourite sportsman of all time. Legend.

[Gray Fox]

Ding showing some fight. Giving that 6-0 start I feel is too much for him to claw back now.

[niko_cee]

Getting close only makes binning so many winnable frames worse.

All going wrong for the city of Leicester at the moment though . . .

[Yevrah]

Ding showing some fight. Giving that 6-0 start I feel is too much for him to claw back now.

In a best of 35 it really doesn't work that way.

Obviously losing the first 6 isn't great, but in a match that long there are always spells when one player will win 4,5 or 6 frames in a row.

Dennis Taylor came back from 8-0 down to beat Davis in 85, Hendry won 10 in a row to beat White 18-14 and Selby himself came back from miles behind against Ronnie when he won his maiden title.

I'd still have Selby to win, not because of the 6-0 start, but because he's the best match player ever to play the game and he'll no doubt grind the shit out of it if Ding gets any closer.

[Boydy]

I'm watching this, drinking tea and eating digestives. I'm feeling proper nostalgic for when I was about eight and would always watch the snooker at either of my grans' houses.

[Gray Fox]

In a best of 35 it really doesn't work that way.

Obviously losing the first 6 isn't great, but in a match that long there are always spells when one player will win 4,5 or 6 frames in a row.

Dennis Taylor came back from 8-0 down to beat Davis in 85, Hendry won 10 in a row to beat White 18-14 and Selby himself came back from miles behind against Ronnie when he won his maiden title.

I'd still have Selby to win, not because of the 6-0 start, but because he's the best match player ever to play the game and he'll no doubt grind the shit out of it if Ding gets any closer.

The reason I say it's too much to give up is because it is Selby. Every time Ding has moved within one frame so far, Selby turns it on and moves clear again. Ding will need a big break here to get some momentum going.

[Yevrah]

The reason I say it's too much to give up is because it is Selby. Every time Ding has moved within one frame so far, Selby turns it on and moves clear again.

I agree, but that's nothing to do with losing the first six frames.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He himself then won seven of the next nine anyway.

[Disco]

I'm watching this, drinking tea and eating digestives. I'm feeling proper nostalgic for when I was about eight and would always watch the snooker at either of my grans' houses.

I used to watch it with my Grandad eating things like jam tart (a proper big one you slice up) or junket.

[Giggles]

Held the nerve well there. I'd watched the second half of Masterchef and missed fuck all.

[Ian]

"Don't be the idiot that spoils this." :cool:

[Giggles]

Never mind throwing them out actually, these cunts with the phones need a fucking slap.

[Giggles]

Does Selby always look so pissed off when he wins?