Momentum in Tournaments: Evidence from Three-Cushion Billiards
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.1201.18164Keywords:
momentum, precision sports, billiardsAbstract
This paper examines the effect of momentum on a sport without set limits, specifically, three-cushion billiards tournaments. Using Poisson estimation of inning-by-inning scores for the 2019 Union Mondiale de Billard (UMB) three-cushion billiards season, we determine the effects of player momentum and the mandatory mid-game break on scoring. We find no evidence of positive momentum, but instead find that “losing” the previous inning makes a player approximately 8.8% less likely to score in the following inning. We also find that the mid-game break does little to restore momentum to the losing player, but significantly helps the leading player.
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