Enough has been said about the episode, as far as the story goes. But I have yet to see anyone make note of the technical aspects of this episode.
First, I am a pool player, not just a fan of TZ. So when I saw they had an episode about pool, I had to see it. I was surprised they put as much detail as they did in this one. It's not just about pool, it's about a specific game, 14.1 rotation or straight pool.
When Fats asks Jesse what game he wants to play, he says "lets see how good you really are", and decides on 14.1 pool to 300 points. For the uninformed, 14.1 pool is one of the most difficult games in pocket billiards. Jesse really picked a game that would test Fats skill. And it is certainly one of the longest games, with championship matches lasting several hours. Make no mistake about it, a game to 300 points can easily clock in at 3 hours. That is at least 15 racks, assuming one person runs out the game without his opposition ever making it to the table.
Considering toward the end of the episode, both Fats and Jesse are almost tie at about 295, that means they have played about 40 racks. Which would probably take somewhere between 5 and 6 hours. Hell, I have a straight pool match on DVD (Eberle vs Hohmann,2006) that clocks in at 3.5 hours, and that's just to 200 points! Bare in mind, we are talking about a single game of pool!
Also, another thing I would like to point out is the opening break at the beginning of the match. Fats states that the man who shoots first is at a disadvantage as he will break the rack open. Which Fats, then plays a safety shot which knocks two balls toward the rail and then back to the rack. That shot was a textbook example of an opening break shot in 14.1. I hope to get that good! Who ever did played pool for a long time.
Anyhow, I don't know who acted as a technical adviser, but their expertise can be appreciated by anyone who is knowledgeable about pool.
First, I am a pool player, not just a fan of TZ. So when I saw they had an episode about pool, I had to see it. I was surprised they put as much detail as they did in this one. It's not just about pool, it's about a specific game, 14.1 rotation or straight pool.
When Fats asks Jesse what game he wants to play, he says "lets see how good you really are", and decides on 14.1 pool to 300 points. For the uninformed, 14.1 pool is one of the most difficult games in pocket billiards. Jesse really picked a game that would test Fats skill. And it is certainly one of the longest games, with championship matches lasting several hours. Make no mistake about it, a game to 300 points can easily clock in at 3 hours. That is at least 15 racks, assuming one person runs out the game without his opposition ever making it to the table.
Considering toward the end of the episode, both Fats and Jesse are almost tie at about 295, that means they have played about 40 racks. Which would probably take somewhere between 5 and 6 hours. Hell, I have a straight pool match on DVD (Eberle vs Hohmann,2006) that clocks in at 3.5 hours, and that's just to 200 points! Bare in mind, we are talking about a single game of pool!
Also, another thing I would like to point out is the opening break at the beginning of the match. Fats states that the man who shoots first is at a disadvantage as he will break the rack open. Which Fats, then plays a safety shot which knocks two balls toward the rail and then back to the rack. That shot was a textbook example of an opening break shot in 14.1. I hope to get that good! Who ever did played pool for a long time.
Anyhow, I don't know who acted as a technical adviser, but their expertise can be appreciated by anyone who is knowledgeable about pool.