Predator Tour 2010

Well that sucked.

In my first tournament of 2010, in the new "easier" format of the Predator 9-ball Tour...

I went 2 and done.

No excuses - I wasn't ready and I played horribly.

On the bright side: I needed this.

I forgot how to compete.
I forgot how to win.
And I got lazy with my pre-shot routine.

(All the tinkering I did in 2009 didn't help my pre-shot routine either.)

A good pre-shot routine is suppose to help with execution. It helps with focus, calming of nerves, developing a rhythm, etc.


Since I wasn't following my routine:

I was, surprisingly, nervous.
I was distracted by everything going on.
I was shooting way too fast.
I was hitting everything way too hard.

Not a formula for success.

I lost my first match 7-2 (I think) and the 2nd match 7-4 (I think).

My opponents were okay, good but not great, and I had my opportunities. I just couldn't execute when I needed to and I made way too many unforced errors. I was happy with my strategy and with my game plan but you can't win if you can't put the ball into the hole.

On the even brighter side: I practiced later that night and worked out all the kinks. The next day I had a break and run out against two separate people. I usually do it once a month, maybe, but never twice in a day let alone within a few hours.

Since I'm really bored at work I'll give you all my thoughts about the Predator Tour.

The new format of the Predator Tour is where all the C and D ranked players are grouped together in the bottom half of the brackets and all the A and B ranked players are grouped together in the top half of the brackets. Pro and Open ranked players are now in a separate 10-ball tournament.

Since I would only play people of my own ability, more or less, until the money rounds it's "easier" than the old format. In 2009, with the old format, there was a really good chance you're gonna draw someone who's much better. This format guarantees that a few C and D ranked players are going to finish high in the money - something that would never happen in the old format.

First prize in this event was 1k with payouts to 12th place. And it's the real payout too. Not the payout with the side pot/Calcutta added in which the Tri-States reports to make it seem like they are paying out more.

It drew a big field too - 75+ ABCD ranked players. Unfortunately it only drew like 14 Pro and Open ranked players. (And with a couple of people in the Pro and Open event who weren't Pro or Open speed.)


While I think the format is successful I'm not sure if it's for me. I LIKED playing better players. Part of the reason I enter these events is to play better players. It's a form of cheap lessons. There's so much to learn from playing better players and the opportunities to play better players in a serious match, short of gambling with them, are few and far between.

The trade off is winning. It's nice to win. It's nice to cash and win decent prize money.

For people of a higher level, Pro and Open, I think this format is going to kill the event. Why is an Open player going to pay the same entry fee as a Pro if the Open players doesn't *really* have a chance? In the old format an Open player can win top money by getting a "good draw". Pros will met Pros and knock each other out, you can have a good match and win against A pro...but in this format there's no "good draw". All the players are going to be tough. Plus is the risk vs. the reward there? Paying $125 to try and win a 1st place prize of $850...

Now my idea would be to hold ABCD events but to take a part of the money to fund a true Open event. Like, say, one or two ABCD events a month and one true Open event every couple of months.

If they took $5 from every player in the ABCD event, and let's say they get 64 players, they'll end up with $320 to put towards the Open event. After 4 ABCD events that's an extra $1280 added into the prize money. With the money added in from the ABCD event it would be worth it for a lot of Open and Pros to get into the event.

The prize for the ABCD event aren't going to be lowered that significantly. 1k becomes $950 or $900 or even $850. That's still a pretty decent payout for an amateur event I think.

The only issue would be to figure out a way to reward the ABCD players so that they don't feel like they are being used to fund a Pro event. Maybe every $5 become an entry in a raffle for some sponsored items?

I don't know. You can't please everyone and not every tour is for everyone. Just thinking out loud and I'm just glad that at least in this area there's choices.