Rub of the Green
We all know what it is. In fact all of us who have played remember matches where the "rub of the green" has favoured our opponent in matches we've lost. I'm sure it's far easier to forget luck both for and against in matches we've won!
One thing that should be pointed out though when considering the luck involved in snooker is that the way commentators carry on, every player is "lucky" when they attempt a pot and don't leave anything on when that is far from the case. The infinite positions balls can land mean it's more unlucky to actually leave your opponent a chance when you miss than the other way around.
The classic example is missed red. When you miss a red you are playing for position on a colour, not a red. Therefore it's more fair to call someone "lucky" if they miss a colour and don't leave a red, seeing as they played for the white to land on a red. And naturally, when you miss a ball the white never lands up exactly where you intend it to land, so most chances left will invariably be more difficult than intended.
It happens in all sports. Fifa's attempts to counter luck of the draw by employing a linesman at each end of the pitch is still pretty pointless as there will still be many occasions where by "luck" isn't spotted. And by introducing judgement you are killing the essence of sport. It's what makes sport so exhilirating. If you took luck out of snooker, say by asking players to nominate pockets, it would take much of the fun out of it and in the end make it more boring to watch as it would encourage endless arguements about what a player intended. Also you couldn't legislate for luck which occurred outside a potted ball, say a flukey snooker, as well as not allowing a player to chance a shot he think could be a result of the shot he's playing even though he knows it's unlikely.
And besides, it's all a part of the mind games, giving the impression you played for something that you didn't by not apologising for something "lucky". Get inside your opponents head. That's more what sport is about - how you cope with the run of the ball rather than the run of the ball itself.
One thing that should be pointed out though when considering the luck involved in snooker is that the way commentators carry on, every player is "lucky" when they attempt a pot and don't leave anything on when that is far from the case. The infinite positions balls can land mean it's more unlucky to actually leave your opponent a chance when you miss than the other way around.
The classic example is missed red. When you miss a red you are playing for position on a colour, not a red. Therefore it's more fair to call someone "lucky" if they miss a colour and don't leave a red, seeing as they played for the white to land on a red. And naturally, when you miss a ball the white never lands up exactly where you intend it to land, so most chances left will invariably be more difficult than intended.
It happens in all sports. Fifa's attempts to counter luck of the draw by employing a linesman at each end of the pitch is still pretty pointless as there will still be many occasions where by "luck" isn't spotted. And by introducing judgement you are killing the essence of sport. It's what makes sport so exhilirating. If you took luck out of snooker, say by asking players to nominate pockets, it would take much of the fun out of it and in the end make it more boring to watch as it would encourage endless arguements about what a player intended. Also you couldn't legislate for luck which occurred outside a potted ball, say a flukey snooker, as well as not allowing a player to chance a shot he think could be a result of the shot he's playing even though he knows it's unlikely.
And besides, it's all a part of the mind games, giving the impression you played for something that you didn't by not apologising for something "lucky". Get inside your opponents head. That's more what sport is about - how you cope with the run of the ball rather than the run of the ball itself.
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Roland - Site Admin
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