Alex Pagulayan (1) - Corey Deuel (1) l Derby City Classic 2016 One pocket

LSJohn said:

I agree with you about "the gut" Bill, but I'm a pain in the ass about details of theory.

To many "the gut" implies something almost mystical. I believe it is actually your brain signalling you about experiences you've had and information you have in the deep recesses that you can't recall consciously. IOW, your subconscious mind knows and is telling you things your conscious mind can't put a finger on.

The reason we should rely on it is that it's evidence-based. We just don't know exactly what the evidence is.

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LSJohn said:

I agree with you about "the gut" Bill, but I'm a pain in the ass about details of theory.

To many "the gut" implies something almost mystical. I believe it is actually your brain signalling you about experiences you've had and information you have in the deep recesses that you can't recall consciously. IOW, your subconscious mind knows and is telling you things your conscious mind can't put a finger on.

The reason we should rely on it is that it's evidence-based. We just don't know exactly what the evidence is.

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wincardona said:

Lets just leave it like this John, the brain tells us whats available and how shots should be executed, however, when you get that feeling in your gut it may be coming from your brain but you will know when it's a "gut feeling" regardless of where it was originated. And if you're keeping score i'm guessing it would be ..gut 11..other options 4.:heh

Dr. Bill

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LSJohn said:

Ah, we were on the same page all the time.

Just to be sure, the way I understand you, if I take "other options" and you take "gut" you'll give me 11-4.

OK, I'll give it a try. See you in Houston.

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wincardona said:

Sounds good, if you promise not to listen to your gut.:heh

Dr. Bill

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wincardona said:

Doc, thanks for acknowledging my use of a word more than seven syllables, it's not often that I use big words, never was my "strong suit" My forte is describing situations in "layman's terms" which I feel that I do a good job in doing. Occasionally i'll throw in a big word, kinda makes one come across like their smart, or at least more knowledgeable. (Always worked for Grady)

I would tend to agree with you on how poorly Cory broke the balls, it probably would not of changed the outcome, but at least it would of made Alex's job more difficult and interesting. Maybe he (Cory)would of won a game or possibly two, but I seriously doubt it.:sorry

I would like to bring up a few interesting times in the match that I found interesting and hopefully they will help, or at least bring to the attention that these options are viable..to a degree.

In game #1 18:40 Alex was in a precarious position and chose an option that got a lot done. I'll try to explain what I believe he was thinking. He chose to pocket the 12ball in the side pocket and go up table then back down table with the cue ball (a little risky) utilizing his superb cue ball control. He improved his position with opening up the 10-12ball cluster and spotted the 12ball to where now it was pocketable in his pocket and blocked several balls that were pocketable in Cory's pocket, plus he protected the 3ball which was positioned on his side of the table.

Game #1 28:13 Alex played a combination bank option that sent both balls toward his pocket, one was off a carom the other off of a combination but the most interesting part of the shot was how he played the cue ball. He drew the cue ball to his side of the table feeling that there was a good possibility that he could position the cue ball behind a ball near his side rail and protect the balls that were ultimately going to end up near his pocket. Yes the shot looked a little risky but if you notice where the balls were positioned limiting Cory with his ability to run balls the shot made a lot more sense. I thought his choice was 100% correct for him, and maybe for many players that strike balls decently.

Game #3 at the 39:02 mark Cory shows his carom reading skills as he chooses to play a carom combination from the top rail, despite having a simple kick at the 13ball that was positioned on Alex's side rail. I thought he would of chosen the simple kick but he chose the carom combination, a testament to his ability and creativity reading the stack. This was the sequence that I was referring to earlier. After pocketing the carom he didn't come up with a follow up shot and that's when he played the power shot banking the 13ball into the stack and controlling the cue ball in back of the 10ball, another beautifully executed shot that seemed to turn the game around from no where. Also in the same game take notice on how Alex runs the balls at the 1:01:18 mark. Particularly pay attention how he plays position off the 2ball to fall on the 1ball and not the 10ball, a mistake that is often made. Playing for the 10ball off the 2ball is a huge mistake because you need to land perfectly on the 10ball to play for the 1ball afterwards. Playing for the 1ball allows you more margin for error with your position play and will give you many more options while running the balls.

Finally in game #3 at the 1:14:30 mark this is where the battle takes place near the bottom rail and pay attention to how Alex controls the position and develops a stronger position with each shot he chooses, and their all simple shots to execute. Cutting off the table is how Alex won this battle and broke Cory down, this type of strategy has proven very productive, with this understanding when given the opportunity to choose options, lean towards choosing the options that Alex chose, providing their available. At the 1:23:30 mark Cory made a big mistake in how he played off the hanging 3ball, he played the cue ball to go up table toward the stack area allowing Alex to bank the 9ball from an angle that allowed him to play position to start his run. His other option (imo) would of been to pocket the 3ball and leave Alex with a stiff angle on the 9ball by just keeping the cue ball in the pocket, at worst he would of left Alex a bank on the 9ball that offered no position potential.

Alex played a beautiful match against a player that exhibited a lot of skills.

Dr. Bill

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onepockethacker said:

Good points Billy... Alex is the best and I think Chohan/Frost are #2 #3 in whatever order... Alex did play great defense in this match but I think if Corey would have chosen a couple of different selections and with any luck he could have won the natch. The roll Corey got in the first game after pocketing the 2/11 combo was absolutely brutal.. He came around the table and there were 6 different balls that went in Coreys hole and if he gets on any of them he out but instead he ends up froze to a ball... Then in game 3 the carom combo Corey shot if he would have gotten a shot after that he very well could have ran out...
The reason I bring these up is last year when Alex played Efren near the end of the tournament Efren had Alex dead trapped in 3 straight games with balls all over Efrens pocket and Alex either up table or buried in the stack unable to see any of them. Once Alex shot jacked up from the stack and shot a straight back( his only option) where if he missed it he lost meanwhile he made it and ran out with about 5 balls sitting in front of Efrens pocket. Another time Alex was trapped again and couldnt see any of the balls by Efrens hole and he was 9 feet away on the rail.. Alex shot a carom combo( I think) like Corey did here in game 3, the only difference is once again Alex got a shot and ran out with balls dripping in Efrens pocket. Every game Efren outmoved Alex BY FAR meanwhile came away with a loss.. You could see Efren was pissed the way he lost.. The point of all this is that if Alex would have either missed or gotten a bad roll on those shots against Efren... Efren might very well have won another title. I just find it funny that the way the balls roll Alex is the two time defending champion and everyone is saying how he dominated Corey however if Corey would have come away with shots after those shots everyone would have been saying that Corey won the match because his creativity really showed up in this match.. It really is a half inch either way on a couple of key shots at crucial times that decides the winner.. Alex definitely out moved Corey this match but the result could have very easily been different.
With the loose tables and aggressive style of the majority of players these days it is amazing that someone can win this tournament twice in a row let alone 4 times in a row like Efren... I mean you are playing a race to 3 and all you have to do is run into one of these young guys who have a hot set and make everything they shoot at and your toast.. it is also amazing that Alex can go from pool, to poker, to snooker and then back to pool and be this good..

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NH Steve said:

Thanks for your insight too Rob, and good to see you at DCC.

Not that it changes anything to your point, but Efren actually won the DCC One Pocket division each time he entered it for the first FIVE times he entered it, which is absolutely amazing. Finally in his sixth time at DCC (he did not come every year back then), he got beat by Gabe Owen. I watched that match and to my mind, it was an example of him losing because he failed to play the score, and was still playing aggressive shots when he had the lead. That time, it came back to bite him. How the heck do you explain that he won five out of five times yet was not managing the score -- i.e. he was shooting the wrong shots?? His other-worldly moving and ball-running I would say. Now the mantle is passing to Alex it seems.

One of the most entertaining One Pocket matches of all time was Efren crushing Alex a few years back for the title... when Alex got down on the floor and bowed to Efren, lol.

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Cory in dc said:

That was an amazing match, more of a demonstration, and my favorite 1P DVD. Alex was making amazing kicks to escape, and Efren would lock him right back up each time.

As I recall, Efren also ran over Jason Miller, who I think won the banks that year, making something on the order of 24 balls to less than 5. It's on the same DVD. Combine that with the Alex match and Efren made something like 48 balls vs. maybe 10 against two champions.

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straightback said:

Equine coitus.

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