The History of Pool & Billiards

The 5% Difference: What I Learned Watching the Gods of Pool in My Backyard

The Six Inches Between Your Ears: A Front-Row Seat at the World 8-Ball Championship

Everyone imagines Bali as a place to unwind—an island escape to abandon the troubles of the real world. But for one week this year, it was charged with a different kind of energy: the electric tension of a World 8-Ball Championship.

For fifteen years, this island has been my home. For one week, it was the center of the professional pool universe, and I had a ringside seat.

Full Circle: A Personal Journey Back to the Baize

Pool is my first love. I was a champion in my hometown of London at the tender age of 16, a cue seemingly a permanent extension of my arm. But life has a way of calling its own shots. I put down the cue for a different stage, heading off to acting school and eventually a new life in Los Angeles. The game faded into the background, a treasured memory of a past life.

Years later, at 49, the game found me again:

• The Catalyst: A persistent back injury meant my golf swing, once a source of pride, became a source of frustration.

• The Challenge: My golf coach, Darren, sensing my need for a new competitive outlet, challenged me to a match on the felt.

• The Return: The moment I held the cue, the familiar weight, and the satisfying thud of a solid pot came rushing back.

This journey of rediscovery eventually culminated in the creation of Bali Pool Coach. So, when the world’s best descended upon my island home, it felt like a pilgrimage coming right to my doorstep.

Meeting the Titans: An Exhibition with SVB

The week started on an unbelievable high note for me personally. I had the surreal opportunity to play the legendary Shane Van Boening (SVB) in an exhibition match at the Super Power Arena here in Denpasar. To my absolute delight, I even managed to win a frame against the great man. Happy days, indeed.

When the main event began, I was eager to track my favorites—titans like German prodigy Joshua Filler and the ever-entertaining Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan. But one player had recently captivated my attention: Alex Kazakis of Greece. Having recently watched his nail-biting shootout against SVB—where they traded an unbelievable 12 consecutive pots each without a miss—I felt Kazakis had a score to settle.

Deconstructing the Mental Game

Stepping into the tournament hall for the first time was, to be perfectly honest, a little underwhelming. Stripped of the dramatic lighting and tight camera angles of television, it was essentially a large room full of men in polo shirts quietly knocking balls around tables.

But that initial impression was entirely superficial. The closer you get, the more you see the invisible battle being waged.

In terms of pure technical skill, there probably wasn’t a 5% difference between the best player in the room and the one who would finish last. The real differentiator—the arena where these matches were truly won and lost—was the six inches between their ears.

The separating factors at this elite level are entirely psychological:

• Composure under immense pressure.

• Visualization of the entire sequence three or four shots ahead.

• Complex strategic decisions calculated in seconds.

A War of Attrition & Early Casualties

Five long days of competition under a double-elimination bracket format is grueling. If you lose in the initial group stages, you get a second bite of the apple in the loser's qualification bracket. It’s a lifeline, but it means more matches, more pressure, and heavy fatigue.

As the tournament ground on, giants began to fall:

• Joshua “The Killer” Filler: The explosive German talent known for his rapid pace was an early casualty.

• Shane Van Boening: SVB met his match in the Last 16. It turned out Shane had come down with the nasty virus making the rounds in Bali. In this arena, being even 1% or 2% below your optimal physical capability is a death sentence. True to his character, Shane was incredibly approachable in the hotel lobby afterward, chatting with fans.

Lessons from the Pros

Amidst the carnage, my sneaky underdog, Alex Kazakis, kept marching on. I was fascinated by his process. Before every single shot, he would stand upright, eyes tracing the path of the cue ball, seeing the shot in his mind's eye. His visualization was so manifest and outwardly projected that the audience could literally see the shot he was going to play before he even bent down to address the ball.

I also made a point of watching Albania’s Eklent Kaçi, a formidable player with a beautifully smooth stroke.

A Coach's Tip: I picked up a fantastic technical adjustment for my jump shots just by observing Kaçi. He utilizes a subtle lifting of the back foot onto the tip-toe to get a better angle and pivot. I went straight to Next Shot Billiards the next day, tried it, and immediately started jumping balls better than I have in years. Thank you, Eklent!

The Final Showdown: Ouschan’s Dominance

The semi-finals delivered the drama we’d all been waiting for. Alex Kazakis found himself on the brink of elimination but clawed his way back from the jaws of defeat with a display of pure grit. Watching him, I was sure this was going to be his year.

But Austria's Albin Ouschan had other ideas.

Albin, a two-time World 9-Ball Champion, had been battling a dip in form over the past few months, but you wouldn't have known it. In the final, he came out of the blocks like a freight train, racing to an astonishing 6-0 lead. At this level, that kind of deficit is a mountain too high to climb. Kazakis dug in and showed the heart of a champion, but the early damage was insurmountable. Albin Ouschan closed out the match to claim the world title, leaving Alex as the runner-up once again.

The Takeaway

Despite the heartbreak for my chosen player, the week was profoundly inspiring. To see these athletes up close, to witness the fusion of physical skill and mental resilience, was a privilege.

Watching them reaffirmed what I teach every day: talent will only get you so far. The hard work is what gets you to the tournament. But it's the work you do between your ears that allows you to win it.

If you can learn to love your practice, embrace the grind, and dedicate yourself completely to the beautiful, maddening, and wonderful game of pool, then maybe one day, it could be you under those bright lights.

Martin Bali Pool Coach