Darren Appleton - Part 4 (World Champion Across Disciplines—U.S. Opens, Heyball and a Historic 200-and-Out)

Mike Gonzalez 0:14

Let's roll the clock back if we can. Let's go back in time to 2008 again, that inaugural WPA World 10 Ball Championship that you won in the Philippines. You dispatched Charlie Williams. You dispatched Neils, I think, in the semifinals before your your victory in the finals 13-11. How did that change things for you? Winning $100,000 and being a world champion.

Darren Appleton 0:34

Yeah, it was massive. It was my first world championship because I never won the English eight ball world championship, which is crazy. When I look back now, it's like probably my biggest disappointment. Because I I won everything in English pool, but I kept losing in the final, the English eight ball world final or the semis. So yeah, it was my first World Championship, $100,000 for the winner, which was massive. And yeah, it just it just it just lifted a big weight off my shoulders. I was what 32 years old at the time. So I was in the prime. My best years were between 30 and 40. So yeah, it just it just it just uh opened the doors. It took all the pressure off me regards like the financial side of it. And then you start getting invited to all the other tournaments, like the World Masters, World Cup Pool, Moscow in the Cup, any invitational tournament, you're sort of like one of the first names on the list. So then you start establishing yourself, and then everything snowballed from there, really. I start I just kept winning and winning, and it just uh I wasn't even thinking about it, it just happened, didn't it? Like once you win that big world championship, it's hard to explain the feeling, really, and then everything else.

Allison Fisher 1:36

You know you can then, don't you? Yeah, yeah. You know you can do it.

Darren Appleton 1:39

Like it's it's everyone's ambition when you take up something for a living or whatever to be world champion. So that was always my ambition to be world champion. It could have been at a bank pool, it wouldn't have mad, you know what I mean? Yeah, once you got that first one, it just takes all the pressure away.

Mike Gonzalez 1:54

Well, we we won't have time to talk about all your wins, but we're certainly going to talk about the big ones. And so if we fast forward two years, you win the first of two back-to-back US Open Nine Ball Championships. Uh, this one at Chesapeake Conference Center in Virginia over recently named BCA Hall of Fame inductee, Corey Duell. What do you remember about that one?

Darren Appleton 2:16

Yeah, that was amazing. That was my favorite venue, but still my favorite venue to this day. The Chesapeake, Virginia, the conference center. It was perfect venue for Poole. It was a perfect size. You get to the Wednesday before Sunday, like so the tournament would go for like a good week, but from Wednesday till Sunday to the finals, there'd be like six, seven hundred people there every day. It was unbelievable. And there was loads of hotels outside the venue, right? It was it was perfect. Mark, I know. I mean, Mark, you'd be commenting, weren't you? So it it was a it was amazing. Uh the format was perfect, like back then. I'm thinking oh, double elimination, race to 11. All the best players. The the thing what I'm most proud about is that you had 256 players, but everybody was there. There was nobody really missing. Ephraim was there, Buster Manty was there, Strickland, Johnny Archer, Ralph Sukey, Mika Himanen. They're all there, all the time when he's guys, they were all there, Copenhies, all these like they're all there. So, I mean, on paper, it's probably my best win without a doubt. And uh yeah, the US Open is just historic, innit? It's just you walk in the queue, Masters, you see all the names on in the pool room, who's won the US Open, even the ladies the US Open and the Masters use have the Masters tournament. So yeah, it's just a lot of history there, and you could feel it, you know what I mean. That it's a proper tournament.

Mark Wilson 3:31

It's the uh absolute epitome of a world championship.

Darren Appleton 3:35

Yeah, it's definitely it's definitely the best tournament to win, I think. I wouldn't say it's the biggest because end of the day you want to be world champion. So I'd always pick the world championship over the US Owen, but it's definitely the best tournament we out of doubt. Mm-hmm.

Mike Gonzalez 3:51

Yeah, just starting in the final eight, you got Corey dual, you you take him to the losers bracket, then you got David Del Cade, Mika, and then finally back with Corey winning the losers bracket to uh to uh take him 15-13.

Darren Appleton 4:05

Yeah, it was a great match as well. It was what it was a race to 13, but if you don't win uh but you have to win by two clear. If it goes a little bit like the uh the the world match play at Dart, actually. But if you go 14-14, then you have a sudden death rack. So it's two clear until 14-14, then you go uh sudden-death rap, but it was 14. I was actually up in the game about 10-6. Uh I thought I'm I'm I'm gonna win. But he played really he actually played really well in this final. And then yeah, went to ill hit. Well, it went to like so we had to win by two clear, and then the last rack. The only thing I remember about the last rack is the jump shot I played. I made a great jump shot and I run the rack out, and yeah, just amazing. People were jumping way back then. Yeah, I f I fell backwards that yeah. I was quite quite lucky because there was like a uh a board behind me. I I could have easily banged my head out. I don't know why I didn't. That's what I'm saying. Like when you when you look back on some of your celebrations when you win, for me anyway, I mean I I was terrible. It's just cringes it a bit embarrassing, isn't it? But you just it's like an out-of-body experience, you just babies really.

Mike Gonzalez 5:14

So, how hard was it to defend the following year in Virginia?

Darren Appleton 5:18

Yeah, I mean, to defend it, I mean, it's just at the time you don't really think about it, but uh, I think I actually played better the second year, I think. So I went on the Laredar because uh there was one match against Jason Clark, I was down 10-6, I think, and then round three of the winner's side, and I it was winner break, so I run out the set to win 11-10. So obviously Jason was six, and he's a good really good friend of mine. So, and yeah, if I lose that match, I probably don't win the tournament because you have to win like eight matches on the loser's side or something, eight games on the loser's side, so yeah, that's a tall order. So, yeah, once I won that, I thought, oh, maybe there's a chance of going back to back because then I was like in the final 16, and then yeah, just took one game at a time, and then it's the first time I played a final without blowing my trumpet, knowing that I was gonna win. You know, I was that's a nice feeling, isn't it? I was 100% sure I was gonna win just because I was playing so well, but everything was on point, right? Everything everything was clicking perfect, and I went into the game feeling the best I've ever felt in my life. I thought, I I don't think I can lose this, but you still got that little bit of doubt thinking, well, let's just calm down a little bit. So you've got to do the work, yeah. You know what I mean? But yeah, I played Sean Putman in the final and I played well in that match.

Mike Gonzalez 6:28

And you wonder too, when you have that feeling, just like golfers that get in the zone, it'd be nice why can't I have this all the time?

Darren Appleton 6:34

It's terrible, isn't it? I mean uh it'd be unbelievable. If you could if you could have that feeling and play like uh you might have it ten times in your whole career. Well, for me anyway, you might have that feeling ten times in your whole career when you get it, it's like the best feeling in in the world. And your cue feels like it's part of your harm, yeah, and everything's going exactly where you want it to go, and your mind's just in such a good place, it's unbelievable. Yeah, you just can't repeat it all the time, unfortunately. I mean, there's a few people that do it, don't there? I mean, like I look at people like Tiger Woods, I think, how the hell does he do that? I mean, what he did for 10 years was was incredible, you know what I mean? And you you just know he was gonna do it, you know what I mean? It's like it'd have a 15-foot putt to stay in the Masters or to stay in the US Open or win it, and you you just know he was gonna make it. It's just crazy, you know what I mean? So these people are out there what do it regular, you know what I mean? Yeah, for someone like me, when you do get that feeling, it's just uh best feeling in the world.

Mike Gonzalez 7:29

Yeah. Well, let's toddle off to Doha the following year, shall we? We're now talking about the 2012 WPA World Nine Ball Championship. Another world championship in a different discipline.

Darren Appleton 7:44

Yeah, this was mental because it was nine balls, so really probably on paper our biggest world championship. So even though the money was less, it was like, I think, fifty thousand to the winners. So even it was fifty thousand less than the world ten ball. Yeah, I mean, we are can't be greedy, can you? But you would pick the nine ball over the ten ball, I would say. I think Alison probably agree, Mark. I think nine balls our world championship, really. Our big one, let's say. Uh so yeah, I mean, uh I think mainly cost of the history. There's been more world nine ball championships than ten ball and eight ball in in our discipline, you know what I mean? So uh yeah, definitely the nine ball, and it was a crazy final that was. It was the craziest final ever.

Allison Fisher 8:20

He's a great player, the guy you play.

Darren Appleton 8:22

Oh wow, very under the radar player. Under the radar. Definitely. He got to loads of major finals around Asia and uh all over the world, really, but in Asia especially. He was a monster, and he was a very good Chinese eight ball player as well. Uh but yeah, uh great unbelievable. Uh it was 12-6, I was winning 12-6.

Allison Fisher 8:41

Wow, really?

Darren Appleton 8:43

I had a I had a great chance to win 13-6, but I was the adrenaline got me, and I I I overdraw the ball by about two foot and snooker myself in my last ball. And uh I snooker myself in my last ball, and uh yeah, from 12-7 to 12-12, I didn't really have a chance. From 12-7 to 12-0, I didn't really get much of a chance. It was all like a couple of loose safeties, but he played great coming back 12-all. Obviously, he's free-rolling a little bit.

Allison Fisher 9:09

So, how were you feeling at that point? 12-12. I mean, how you sit you're sitting there and you're like, what the hell's going on?

Darren Appleton 9:16

Like 12-10, you're thinking, well, it's not too bad. I'll think like, just give me one more chance, but it needs to come very quick. But then 12-11, it's like panic, innit? It's just panic. Pressure, yeah. And then and then he he I think he breaks and runs, so it's 12-0. So you just so I took my time out. I'm thinking, well, if I lose this match here, I'm gonna jump off the bridge. That's all right.

Allison Fisher 9:37

Planning that, were you planning like if I lose. Did you have anyone in your corner? Did anyone come out with you in your time out?

Darren Appleton 9:43

No, not that year, no. I was just no, it was quite a long walk to the toilet, and you're on you're on your own. So I just told myself, look, you can't lose this match. I says, if you get one chance, you've got to take it. So all the rubbish what's happened before had gone, really. So it was a case of just making sure that I get an opportunity, and I probably took out the best finish of my life. I don't know if you've seen it. Well, did he break? No, I broke, but uh didn't have a shot, played a push-out, and then I had to play a safety, and then he snooked me out of a safety, and I played a I played an unbelievable jump shot and made the ball. It was like if I don't make it, I lose. Uh probably the best shot of my life, really, under the circumstances, and I run out, but I mean every ball was like like I've gone from like what I was telling you about in America, the US Open, where the queue felt part of my harm, where now I couldn't even feel my harm, you know what I mean? So that pressure, too much pressure. Like the pressure, I couldn't even feel my harm. It's like I couldn't I didn't even know whose queue it was. Yeah, so so again, you just come down to your fundamentals, don't you? Thinking, right, keep your head still and just deliver the queue, and then if it goes in, it goes in, and that's what it is. It's just willpower, innit? And but that's the most pressure I've ever felt without a doubt. Jesus. And that's why if you see my celebration at the end, it just all come out. It's like it's a bit of an iconic celebration. I went absolutely nuts. I jumped on the table, accidentally kicked this ball, and the ball's gone flying. I threw my queue. I actually threw my queue, and it's doing these somersaults, right? And it's landed, it's landed in the corner perfect. It's land and it's landed on the like where where the banners are, it's landed perfect. And like says, Oh, that that was a good throw. So, yeah, it was amazing. It was uh it's hard, it's like out-of-body experience, innit?

Allison Fisher 11:31

It's just well, 12-six, 12-6 down and to come back and win it. And then that's better than jumping off a bridge, isn't it? Quite frankly.

Darren Appleton 11:38

If I'd have lost that, that would have been the biggest biggest disappointment of my career by Maya. I I don't think I would have recovered from that. So yeah, that that was massive.

Allison Fisher 11:46

It's strange that, isn't it? How one one win or loss, one shot just can turn your career completely.

Darren Appleton 11:55

Yeah, and I end up getting player of the year because of that as well. I got player of the year, blah, blah. Uh, and then yeah, went went on to have more success. Where if I lost that match, it might have destroyed me.

Allison Fisher 12:05

Who knows?

Darren Appleton 12:06

Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 12:07

Yeah.

Allison Fisher 12:08

The following year.

Mike Gonzalez 12:09

Yeah, you look back two WPA world championships, one and nine, one and ten. You've won two US opens, and then you go the next year and you get yourself a gold medal down at Columbia.

Darren Appleton 12:21

Yeah, that was good. Yeah, I had to I had to pay my own expenses as well. Like, unfortunately, in the UK, we don't have any funding, we don't get any government help, we don't get any federation help. Yeah, like in the States. Obviously, same in America, but there's some countries where you get you get taken care of very well, and you get money if you win. So, yeah, I know Dennis O'Cullo, I he got a bronze medal, he got I think he got like $20,000 from his federation, government, whatever. And then uh Chang, who I beat in the final, who sadly passed away last year, he got fifty thousand for getting a silver medal from his from his federation. Uh where I got nothing. But I know if I know if Chiang would have beat me, he would have got 100,000, he told me, and I think Dennis would have been sort of the same. It's crazy, really. But yeah, well, it wasn't about money. And I I put that down as one of my biggest wins, most important. I think Alison, you won the World Games, right?

Allison Fisher 13:12

I did it, I did the exactly the same as you. I got invited because a player pulled out, paid my own way, and ended up winning gold, and I feel the same about it as you.

Darren Appleton 13:21

Yeah, it's amazing.

Allison Fisher 13:22

I mean, it's weird because it's a 16-player field and it's short race, but it and you know, it's a knockout. But it's just a pride thing, isn't it? It's very much a pride.

Darren Appleton 13:31

Represent your country.

Allison Fisher 13:32

Yeah.

Darren Appleton 13:33

There's nothing better, is there? I mean. What I liked was mixing with the other sports, like mixing the other athletes' sports, and then you go out to the opening ceremony, 40,000 people in the stadium.

Allison Fisher 13:43

Yeah.

Darren Appleton 13:45

It's a great thing to get the after, like you're on this open top bus, and uh you're showing your medal, and they're like clapping. I think, well, they don't even know who I am. And then so good. I think they're just clapping for the sake of it. And then uh, yeah, so it's like all the all experience is just amazing. But the way I won it as well, I beat I beat Dennis in the semi-final, Dennis or Cullo, I was 9-2 down. I was nine-two down in an alternate break, and I beat him 11-9, and then in the final, I was 10-6 up in the final against Chiang, and I end up winning 11-10. So it's crazy.

Allison Fisher 14:17

That's amazing. You've had some great results getting over the winning line.

Mark Wilson 14:21

Yeah.

Allison Fisher 14:22

One of my favourites is the is the following two two years later, the WPA World Hayball Championships in China over Mark Selby.

Darren Appleton 14:30

Yeah.

Allison Fisher 14:30

Now I remember watching that final.

Darren Appleton 14:33

Yeah, yours up.

Allison Fisher 14:34

I remember you taking a little time out on your own, and I remember standing behind you or sitting behind you, watching that final rack, yeah, and your hand was shaking every ball. I remember it clear as day.

Darren Appleton 14:46

Yeah.

Allison Fisher 14:46

So I think for the listeners, it's important to express how you know that final rack of trying to win something is never easy, is it?

Darren Appleton 14:55

No.

Allison Fisher 14:56

And Hayball, another discipline, and you're playing one of the greatest snooker players in the world.

Darren Appleton 15:02

He's a great pool player as well.

Allison Fisher 15:03

Right. He used to play pool, right?

Darren Appleton 15:05

No, but he's the one guy you don't want coming from snooker to American pool. Trust me. Right. He was a great English eight ball player, and he's also very, very, very good at nine ball as well, and that we are doubt. He'd be the best, he's the best snooker player at pool, that's for sure.

Allison Fisher 15:18

Yeah. So tell us about that match. So you're in China, Hayball, you've got Mark Selby, world snooker champion.

Darren Appleton 15:26

Yeah, a bit of history with me and him. I played him in 2006 English eight ball world championship final, and he beat me 11-8. Uh, and that's the only time you ever beat me. Like, whenever we like, we we played for money a few times at English pool. I beat him, but we had great matches. I played him a couple of times in the world championships, beat him once, lost in the final. Uh so yeah, and then uh anyway, me and him used to be really good friends, and then uh when I broke up with my ex-fiance, he ended up with my fiance, and now he's married to her, uh Vicky. So that Gil is married to now, he's now my my ex-fiance, so it's a bit of a story. Yeah, and that is a little bit of a twist to the plot, isn't it? We was we were best friends around 2004, so obviously after that happened, we we're not really friends anymore. But we're okay. Well, when we did see each other in 2005, when I won the sorry fifteen. Yeah, the years. So 2015, the World Championship A-ball, uh uh Chinese pool, sorry. Uh yeah, we we actually spoke and we were okay, you know what I mean? So yeah, it's just all uh war under the bridge. So yeah, we're all we're all fine now, but obviously when we played in the final, I'm thinking, right, he beat me 10 years ago. I've I've got to win this one. Uh and then there's there's some people, my friends, they sort of think there's still that that that uh we don't like each other and that, but uh whatever. Uh so yeah, it was a a bit and a bit of like edginess there, and uh it was probably the biggest match of my life, really.

Allison Fisher 16:51

Um hundred thousand dollars to the winner.

Darren Appleton 16:53

Well, now it now it's about 750,000 to the winner. So a little bit lucky, really. Uh so yeah, so yeah, I I had to win that match. That was my mindset going into it. And uh it was a great match, really. I was up 16-10, playing really well. But Mark Selb is probably the best player of all time coming from behind. Yeah, Alison and now he's just unbelievable. You just can't get rid of it. And he came back, and before I knew it, I was 19-18 down, a race to 21. And he only really made two mistakes. When I look back on the match, I only really made two mistakes, which is just the way the game is, is momentum in it's that momentum is just crazy. But yeah, I think that like I took a time, I think we did take a time out at that stage, and then I come back and obviously managed to win 21-19. But the last rack, like uh Alison says, I was I was shaking so bad it was unbelievable. I actually made a good finish as well.

Allison Fisher 17:45

Were you aware of it? You know, could I could see it visibly as you did?

Darren Appleton 17:48

No, you don't you don't do you? I mean uh there's I asked some players, I said, Do you know you're shaking? They say no, and then the Zood players saying, Yeah, I I can feel it. Right Did you feel it? No, I didn't feel it. Obviously, you you know you're nervous and everything else, but I didn't feel my I didn't I didn't feel my hand swaying left and right, where like Nick Barner, for example. I mean, that's unbelievable. Or Stevie Moore, they they had it really bad, didn't they? But I don't I don't think they know they're doing it though. But yeah, I mean obviously it's just you see a lot of players shaking when they're under pressure, like Chris Melling's really bad for it. Uh quite a few players, but uh yeah, even Shane does it sometimes, you know what I mean? So it does happen to a lot of them.

Allison Fisher 18:23

Everyone does it, yeah.

Darren Appleton 18:24

Like you say, you just go back to your fundamentals, don't you? And you just say, Look, keep your head still. That's the number one rule.

Allison Fisher 18:30

Control what you can control.

Darren Appleton 18:31

I mean, you are the master at keeping your head still, so I'm not. So I just tell myself, stay down on the shot as long as I can. Just deliver the cue, and every just go off your own ability, don't you? And you just trust it. Yeah, and uh more times than not, you come out on top. Uh, because the hardest thing to do is play under pressure, innit? Yeah. So luckily I've been able to hold myself under pressure more times than not. But these times where you do dog it. I I've definitely dogged it, there's no doubt about it. Anybody who says that haven't, I think they're probably lying in any sport. But the great, great, great players, they it's very, very, very seldom they they they uh they choke, you know what I mean?

Mike Gonzalez 19:10

Yeah. Well, seven years prior, you won the inaugural ten ball WPA World Championship. This time you win the inaugural Hayball WPA championship, right? And uh as we know, we all uh a big win and we all find inspiration where we can, don't we? And you certainly had certainly had it, yeah.

Mark Wilson 19:32

For me, all the great wins that Darren's had, the Hayball uh championship in China was the most unbelievable. Because one, it's all killer players in that tournament, and it's absolutely a world championship. And then, you know, when you think back about all the close calls that he's had, his boxing mental toughness has shown through time and time again. And I always admired that about him. He I love his compact stroke, but uh really his mental toughness is uh still exemplary. And uh you don't see that very often. You see a lot of people back down from the big moment. He does it.

Darren Appleton 20:08

Yeah, I think I think we eight ball, it's like an hybrid game. It's like got a bit of English pool, an American pool.

Allison Fisher 20:13

It's a lovely mix for you, isn't it? Yeah, I think, in in many ways.

Darren Appleton 20:17

Yeah, it's a tough game.

Allison Fisher 20:19

Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 20:21

Expand on that a little bit more, just for our uh our listeners who maybe aren't familiar with Hayball because it's become so big, it's well funded now. We'll see if that continues, but uh describe the game for us.

Darren Appleton 20:34

Well, it's basically on a three-quarter size snooker table. So it's a nine-foot snooker table, really. So it's eight ball on a on a free-quarter size snooker table with American pool balls, so the table's even tighter than the snooker table, because the snooker balls are smaller than American pool balls. So if you've got a ball near the rail, you've got to hit it perfect. There's no room for like just flicking the rail. Uh it's got to be perfect, it's got to be clean. Uh so with that so that's the difficulty part of the game, and that's where the patterns change also, because if you're playing eight ball on an American pool table, you're happy that the ball's on the rail. You know what I mean? Because the pockets are a lot bigger. Uh so you you want the ball on the rail, really, it helps you. But on these tables, you want to get it off the rail. So you're trying to bring the balls off the rail, or if you've got to be very confident about making them down the rail, which over time, if you do put the pratic in, you you you do get pretty decent at making them down the rail. I mean, especially those Chinese guys, they fire them down the rail. So it's just a completely different style of eight ball, but still, you need the the knowledge of the game for sure. Uh but I think if you've got a a good snooker, a good snooker background, a good English eight ball, and a pretty good American pull background, you you should be good at that game. Yeah. Do you still compete at it? I haven't played for about a year now. No, sorry, I played about I played the Masters in February. That's the last time I played. But yeah, I I keep meaning to play more, but it's just I don't know. I just feel like my game's not there and you're sort of just going on from vacation and China's not really my ideal place for a vacation really. No, not mine. No, I just feel like it's ten years too late. If the money in the game now is incredible, but I feel like I'm ten years too late. Yeah.

Allison Fisher 22:12

I'd like to be a bit younger, I think, in the game now.

Darren Appleton 22:15

You're thinking, where was this money 10 years ago?

Allison Fisher 22:18

Just the venues too. Just the places that they go to. Especially on a pro series.

Darren Appleton 22:22

Yeah, I mean like the actual playing venues are good, aren't they? But I mean some some of the players are middle of nowhere, but I don't know. I don't really agree with the food struggle a bit with the food over the time changes. Time changes. Yeah the way they are they they treat you like robots a little bit. Yeah you've got to have the right mentality going there. I'm not saying they're bad people that they're not that they're very nice people but yeah it's not easy. It's not easy. And that I mean really to be at the top top of that game you need to be there more or less living there really.

Allison Fisher 22:55

Yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 22:56

All right so Darren we we've been able to to reflect back on the six of your biggest wins those being four world championships, two US Open nine ball championships. You've had a chance to play a lot of different disciplines. We've we do see on your list of wins a few other things that we haven't talked about. So let's talk about 14-1 continuous pool because uh you've had uh I think you won a couple of world championships did you not in uh 14-1 back in uh one world championship. Yeah yeah I I guess what what would have been called what the the the American Straight pool championship in in 2014 and 15.

Darren Appleton 23:33

Yeah I won two of those. Yeah I've done well at Straight Pool. The first time I ever played it I did touch on it earlier in the podcast 2008 at the Derby City Classic. So I beat John Smith in the final I actually beat Meeker and Niels in that as well so that was my first time ever playing straight pool. And I beat three of the best at it so it's but I I think I've I I I've always said that I think if you're a good eight ball player you should be good at straight pool. Because like once you get down to your last like Mark will know but once once you get down to your last eight or nine balls you start really planning your route out for your break shot uh your break ball which I look at as the as the eight ball sort of thing so I sort of work backwards and yeah so I love the game. It's good what I love about straight pool it's great for your concentration and you've always got a goal you're always trying to beat your personal best score a bit like snooker you're always trying to get a century break where straight pool you're always like for someone at our level you're trying to get an under break so uh it doesn't matter what level you are you're always you you've always got a purpose to play the game and it's good for your concentration and your cue ball control. So yeah I really like straight pool uh so 2008 I won the Derby City and then uh I won it again two years later and then uh there was a lot of what do you call it we had a we we would have a little bit of a boom where there was quite a lot of straight pool tournaments at let's say the expo or at the BCA in Las Vegas or uh McDermott Straight pool and I sort of won most of those so I was doing really well at Straightpool and then obviously in the world championships got to a couple of semi-finals before I before I lost in the final to Tarston one year I think 12 2012 was at Torston and then that year is when I got the 200 and out against Buster Mante in the semi-final which is a world record yeah 200 and out yeah right race of 200 against Buster Mante and uh I run 200 and out but that tournament every match I played that tournament I think I played about eight matches I had I had at least uh hundred break in every game I played wow but in the final I sort of ran out of steam a little bit and I played Tarsten and it was a bit of a scrappy final uh so I was a bit disappointed in the way I lost that final because I played perfect to the final and then just didn't show up in the final and uh even Tarson didn't play his best as well which usually you've got to play your best to have a chance to beat Tarsen playing straight pool. So that was a missed opportunity but luckily I come back the year after and I won it yeah yeah I beat Shane in the final so how do you enjoy 14-1 compared to some of the other games I mean yeah like I said it's great if you're good eight ball player I think if you're good eight ball player you should be good at straight pool uh good for your concentration uh I think it's the best game to play alone I think that's the best way to explain straight pool to play it on your own it's an amazing game but when you've got an opponent especially if you're playing someone who's quite slow and they make an under break you can be sitting in your chair for like one hour maybe an hour and a half two hours you know I mean uh so it's it's a bit of a torture chair really but when you do come back to the table you're even more determined to make sure you don't miss so it's the ultimate game for concentration yeah it's a bit it is it's a bit of a torture when you're in the chair but but when you're at the table it's a it's a great game it's just a great game in general it's it's a shame really it's been lost uh so I I had a lot of success at Straight Pool uh I'd probably say I won 50% of the tournaments I I entered so uh but like the last what I haven't played Straightpool for like I played a one little exhibition match against Corey in Vegas recently but besides that I haven't played a tournament for maybe six seven years which is sad really it it seems as though Jason and John Schmidt have made you believe now that maybe a thousand is possible huh? Oh that's crazy. I know with their pockets are big but I mean that's unbelievable. I think ten years ago I would like to have a go at that but I I don't think I could do it now. That concentration level unbelievable but I I've heard Jason's gonna try and get a thousand he's gonna go again so I I think the only guy what I could see doing it is Joshua Filler because he plays quite quick he's fluid yeah the flow perfect stroke where I think if you're slow and methodical like a torsten it'd be very difficult because it takes too long's too much out of you didn't it yeah very difficult for those type of players who are proper straight pull players really you know what I mean yeah but I think for someone like filler and Joshua even uh John Smith it just suits them you know I mean they're very quick fluid and they know the game you know what I mean and the pockets are so once they get into that rhythm and that momentum they they just keep going and going.

Allison Fisher 28:02

But I mean it's what pocket size are they playing on when they do that regularly five inch in it but everything's perfect.

Mark Wilson 28:08

They have the the the tap rack the balls are tap sorry so the rack's perfect uh the polish the balls every whatever yeah perfect conditions and but they play like six inch don't they because they're brand new so but still I mean it's still amazing you still got to keep focus oh incredible five hundred is unbelievable to get what is it eight hundred unbelievable eight eight thirty two for Jason and eight twenty for Schmidt and his ball skidded it was he had a real routine shot that just twisted into the rail the 820.

Darren Appleton 28:38

Yeah I think I think John Smith's the best straight pool player when he's playing on his own but if you look at his record against head to ed against like let let's say I play John Smith race 200 I feel like I'm probably gonna win but I think he's a better straight pool player than me you know I mean so it's weird really yeah he he knows more about the game than me or like probably anybody else but when it's head to ed he he didn't have a load of success right in tournaments. I know he he he did okay but for how good he is he should have won a lot more tournaments. Yeah when you watch him just run out on his own like you get like you know like at the Derby City Classic where you just try and get as many balls as you can he's probably the best at that thank you for listening to another episode of Legends of the Cube.

Allison Fisher 29:22

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