I've been approached by a friend of mine (on behalf of his friend), whom I'm told is a very good pool player and tipster for that matter. As a pool player myself and someone who always likes to seek out different content I just couldn't say no to this one!
By all means stake small or even just watch.. This is unlikely something we are looking to sell so just consider it a happy little extra and something interesting (at least to me personally anyway!)
This weeks Pool bets
The top professionals will be joined by a select list of amateurs who had to qualify to take their places on the TV schedule, but we can all watch for free from 10pm tonight on SportyStuff TV on Sky Channel 437, Freeview Channel 250, or via the website on www.sportystuff.tv
For those new to the sport (where have you all been?), the IPA (www.ipapool.com) is the Official Professional body for pool and all their tournaments are played to Blackball rules, reporting through the chain all the way up to the Olympic Committee (IOC), so when you watch their players, you know you are talking about the very best and nothing less.
I am not one for format boredom, so suffice to say that this week we have the nwxt Groups (of four players each), with a round robin format (everyone plays everyone else) in a race to four “best of six” that can end up 3-3, and with the major bookmakers taking more than a passing interest (the Betfred link is here www.betfred.com/sports/pool Unibet https://www.unibet.co.uk/.../sports/filter/pool/all/matches, Bet365 https://www.bet365.com/#/AC/B35/C20791248/D1/E69379517/F2/, while others
will be pricing up shortly).
Event 1 Stage 2: Monday: Group B –
There is no doubt we are looking at another tight group, and with Dan Davy as the only top seed, it's hard not seeing him progress to the Event One Final. Clarke arrives here as the 12/1 outsider to progress to the next stage but he has done it before against the odds, but is this one step too far?
Personally, I think Clarke has had a great run in this tournament but it will come to an end tonight, and it's a flip of a coin to see who gets through between Croasdale and Barley. These two have had a previous match which Croasdale won 7/6 and I am expecting another close finish, but I’m going for Barley to just edge it, though we could also see another sudden death blackball shootout to see who progresses.
Odds To win
Group B: (odds correct at the time of writing)
Jamie Clarke 12/1, Tom Barley 11/4, Andy Croasdale 9/4, Dan Davy 11/8
Match 1: Jamie Clarke 11/4 v Andy Croasdale 4/5 - Draw 5/2
Pickers Picks – Croasdale @4/5
Match 2: Tom Barley 9/4 v Dan Davy Evens - Draw 9/4
Pickers Picks – Davy @ Evens
Match 3: Jamie Clarke 9/2 v Dan Davy 4/7 - Draw 9/4
Pickers Picks – Davy @4/7
Match 4: Andy Croasdale 11/8 v Tom Barley 13/8 - Draw 9/4
Pickers Picks – Draw @9/4
Match 5: Jamie Clarke 2/1 v Tom Barley 11/10 - Draw 9/4
Pickers Picks – Barley @ 11/10
Match 6: Dan Davy 11/8 v Andy Croasdale 13/8 - Draw 9/4
Pickers Picks – Davy @ 11/8
Pickers Picks for Winner and Runner Up to get to Event 1 Final: Dan Davy and Tom Barley
Pickers Picks best Value Bet: Croasdale/Barley Draw @ 9/4
