Regular readers know that I never write about pool. Ergo tonight's Shot of the Day consists of a remarkable two flukes in a row by the number two snooker player in China, Liang Wenbo.
As we pick up the action at 2:32:17, in the evening session of the English Championship, Liang has just played a safety to the top cushion. With Liang in his chair, opponent Judd Trump then plays a safety up table, but leaves Liang able to see the red near baulk. Play is interrupted by a spectator's cellphone. Liang then plays a safety on that red, but it travels across the table not once but twice.... Liang raises his hand to Trump to acknowledge the fluke. Liang then must pot a color, so he takes aim at the green into the side pocket, and misses...
Sort of! Watch what happens.
You'll almost never see that—two flukes in a row, especially one off the knuckle. Judd Trump must have felt the gods were against him.
A spectacular match to watch, by the way. Tension and pressure in abundance in the later stages.
Mike
P.S. Some day I will write a pool-to-snooker translation key. Pot = pocket, double = bank, winning line = finish line, etc.
Off-topic posts are marked "OT" to warn those who do not share Yr. Hmbl. Ed.'s other enthusiasms.
Original contents copyright 2016 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.
No fluke
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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:
Ken: "Dang, that second paragraph sure seems like it is in English. And I can pick out specific words and even phrases I recognize. Yet, reading it as a whole, I haven't the slightest clue what on earth it says...."
Although my favourite snooker player is Neil Robertson, I have no qualms recognizing Liang is brilliant. And he seems to be quite a likeable guy too.
I didn't care for snooker until I started watching the main championships on Eurosport. I'm no couch potato, but I can watch snooker for hours.
Snooker is very challenging, as it requires a mathematical brain and an accute tactical sense (as well as skill, of course). It's a bit like chess, in that you have to think of the next several moves ahead. Surely it can get boring when they hide the cue ball or systematically play for the black ball, but overall it is never less than fascinating to see the players' minds in action.
Posted by: Manuel | Tuesday, 25 October 2016 at 12:20 PM
The only thing that I used to know about snooker was that it was mentioned occasionally in Andy Capp cartoons. Now I spend too much time watching games on the internet and fantasize about building a room on the house just for a snooker table. It is of course, all your fault :-).
Posted by: Fred | Tuesday, 25 October 2016 at 01:11 PM
Does anyone else remember the Communist Party player, Inoff the Red?
: )
Posted by: Roger Bradbury | Tuesday, 25 October 2016 at 04:14 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-UI2iQjBUk
frame 8
Posted by: Clayton | Tuesday, 25 October 2016 at 06:23 PM
or that night here in the UK when to everyones amazement Dennis Taylor, the journeyman, after a mammoth struggle beat the, at that time, invincible Steve Davis.
What a match .....
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_World_Snooker_Championship_final
And this epic final frame of the 1985 final is available on youtube!
Posted by: Tom Bell | Wednesday, 26 October 2016 at 06:08 AM