New-York tribune., 1890-01-12
TIE BALK-LINE HANDICAP.
SOW 1T WILL AFFECT THE BIG BILLIARD
TOURNAMENT.
BLOSSOM WILL HAVE DIFFICULT TASK TO
DEFEAT HIS oPPoNENTS-SCHAEFER NAY
ENTER YET THE AMATEUR
CHAMPIONSHIP.


The approaching professional billiard tournament in
This city will present remarkable features. IL
the present arrangements carried out. Never
before has there been handicap Z" "lnes' alone.
uandicaps on points" are common enough. IN con-
tests between the poorest Of amateurs as well as
the best of professionals, the ability OF d
player to make more points than his opponents at q
certain style Of game having been accepted almost
universally as the basis upon which odds should DC
fixed But a handicap at balk line. on lines aiole'
is the most serious kind Of an experiment.
How many billiard players are there outside oi inc
small cotcrie of fine experts, who Know eAaClS uio
odds between the fourteen-inch and the cehtihct
balk line games? The writer recently expreSseo inc
opinion in the presence of several professional pNeS
Mat not more than dozen professionals could hguIe
sut the exact comparative odds that are given by a
player who agrees to play 800 points at the fourteen
inch line against another who is to make the same
humber OF points on the elghtinch line
George Slosson, who was present emphasized thl'
by saving that he did not believe that there were three
professionals or amateurs, who could calculate such
odds. He thought schaefer could. and he believed
that he could but as he said. there are no Others
who have PLAYED both lines well enough TO Judge OF
their relative difficulties
"An along said Siosson, 81 have realized better
than anyone else could, how heavy handicap have
assumed in agreeing to play the fourcenlnch llnc
against the eightnch game of such men as DAILY
tho eightinch balklne is not so far away from the
rail 10 prevent large comparatively close
nursing When you put the balls SIX inches further
from the rail. however, you almost absolutely pro
hbit close nursing and force, the player to depend
upon exquisite Judgment of force and accurate open
work. The eghtinch line is only degree removed
from rail play. whereas at the fourteennch balk line
tie player has to depend upon his skill at allaround
Billiards. Yet must confess that believe handi-
cap lines be truer test of skin than odds at
points"
MERITS OF THE BALK-IINE HANDICAP
such handicap as the arranged for the coming
tournament while it must be considered as as expert
ment cannot fail TO establish with unprecedented
rearness the relative merits of the professionals now
before the public. Slosson has agreed 10 play tie
fourteen-inch balklire game against the eight inch
game Of Daly Sexton. Eeiser and Ives In so doing
according to the finest calculation possible, he has
practically agreed TO give his opponents the ODDS OF
fun discount This is not an eNaGecraton, as the
averages made at those lines Will prove. Does any
slosson can discount DAILY sexton or Ives at even
points at any particular eamcH Hardly Yet this is
practically what he has agreed TO do.
players ability 10 make an average at a certain
style Of game establishes his status at that game
For instance DAILY is able TO make average Of thirty
at the eght-inch halk line At even points, 10 wn
Slosson must make better than an average Of thirty
play on the eieltinch line there is possibility that
slosson would be able to average than twice as
much as DAILY, which he would have TO DO 70 win.
The work of the professionals in their practice
for the tournament illustrates the ODDS between the
lines better than anything else could Ives hts made
within two weeks in his practice in Chicago at the
eight-inch game averages Of thirtysiN. tirtyeieht
forty and forty-two in four games Can SloSson
average forty in game Of 500 points at the fourteen
inch linel lie may do so but would be phenomenal
work.
DAILY WORKING LIKE BUANER
DAILY has been clever enough 70 see that the hand
cap at lines gives him chance 70 Win the hrst
prize and he has been at work like beaver sW'o
the final arrangements were completed, TO get INTO
FORM He takes a shrewd course when preparing for
a tournament and does little playing in the public
room in Brooklyn of which lie is the proprietor
Daly is a money-getter and when he sees chance
70 win he seizes with quiet cleverncSs lie has
a billiard table in his house one OF The finest made
with Of the quickest cushions ever devised IN
stead Of practising publicly 50 that ms progress "ou!u
be faithfully reported to his competitors, he has shut
himself ND in his house with his table, and has been
nraetisine hard. Overcnthusasuc friends OF
Mr Daly have spoiled part Of Ms
plans by letting it DC known that lie has
built up wonderful cchtnch game; that he averages
mt less than forty in every 500 and that occasionally
ne makes phenomenal runs II has been said even
HFIsEE ALSO HARD AT WORK
uo,se, has averaged over forty in many Of his
,r,ctice canes at the elghtinch line. and has made
,nns % over 300 at it, There's pecuJlr tIng
about Heser's play though that must always be
taken into consideration. He knows all the sVlee
Of games as well as any PLAYER living, and at times
,s,ars ehu that is little short Of phenomenal, but
S,e ~ cannot be depended upon crisis. lie may
,one out gloItousy ahead, or ne may udil III uGi!u
III The others one never knows what ie!ser VIII 40
d ,tnre al
f ebt nof do f. but he could If s "neve7
I,rarv as good in a struggle in practice. II. how
ever lie should average not more than twenty, ie
inch game 70 beat him. Heiser's private table is
lifted with the quickest Of cushions ana nc mas been
rractising on IL for months Formerly ms stroke
Vas a fr1ge heavy and his object in working on an
quick cushion has been 10 acquire GecacS
1f 1roTsd So1fH wonGefy % on the quick cushion
pncaton Of force is now almost periGcuonri pr1ctc5
slosson would undoubtedly he able 10 give ODDS ot
points 10 Heiser II both PLAYED the ionreen-ncn or
cightnch game bIt lha1 tne former ,rd c2r% ynt
Siosson does not come anywhere near averaging At
tie fourteeninch line, in practice, as much a. Heiser
In former tournament, slosson and sexton haze
played on even terms IN the c9ming . one ceAon a5
might average forty on the eightinch line, but he
could not possibly average ha that at fourteen tc&e &
Dalk yet SlOssOn must average over iOrty at inc
fourteen-inch line to win.
Does not this prove that the odds are fully equal 70
SlOs.on is PLAYING in Gne form and in praetce at
less than twenty in game Of 500 points
better than this 10 win, and. in spite Of severe
attack Of influenza is slowly creeping up III ms
practice. Every days work helps him along. ara
lie confidently expects To be able 70 hold avc'aCe
Of over forty before the middle Of February; Indeed
lie must do so TO win. He Is such hard ana con
scientious worker that few believe that he VIII
be the winner In spite Of the heavy handicap.
SCHAEFER MAY YET COMPETE
When the arrangements for the tournament were
being made schacfer refused TO enter becacse he OBJ
icctcd TO a handicap lines. II was proposed that
lie and Slosson should play the fourteen-lnch game
against the eghtinch game OF the others 70 placate
>chaefer il provided that there should be two
tournaments one TO be played in New-Yorb at "A
handicap on lines and the other in Chicago at handi-
cap on points. still schaefer refused, and the
rangements were completed without his entry Re