That was ass.

Wow, CLegout you are just an a ss arent you? Is that what you thrive on? Probably.

At least he is admiting his faults. He needs to be in better shape and he knows it. He isnt saying anything else. Why dont you stfu CLegout and go to a tourney and show your results?

Hola Larry,

I can play you for 1U$ this weekend. You will get the tshirt regardless.

Micky

 

>Hahahaha, now I know what you look like in games Larry.

>I'm not impressed.

Based on the two points shown, neither would I. It figures someone would post two of my worst points in one of my worst losses at the very end of the match (11-9 in the 7th after many other matches that day) when I'm very, very tired. I beat the same player 3-1 earlier in the day. I'm actually a pretty aggressive forehand attacker in most matches, although I vary that tactically.

Watch many of the points that Samsonov played against Waldner at the 2001 Worlds, and he wouldn't be very impressive either. It's easy to pick and choose points to make a player look bad. it sure would have been nice if Robert had instead posted my -2,6,8,9 win over this player earlier in the day, or my 8,8,9 win over Doan Le (2173) or my 3,9,8 win over Lloyd McQueen (2143), or my close match with Tuan Le (2342), where he won -9,9,9,12.

I can easily give a list of tournament wins I've had against players that international players could relate to, such as Kazeem Badru (2500+ rated), a member of the Nigerian National Team; Insook Bhushan (about 2450), former Korean Team Member and #9 in the world, while she was U.S. champion; then U.S. Over 40 Champion and former Phillipines Champion Rey Domingo (2450+), etc. These aren't international stars (well, Insook was), but some pretty good players.

Back to work.

-Larry Hodges

I'm pretty busy with work right now, but I'll put up half the cost (up to $300 or so) towards Clegout's (Mark Gorse) air fair to come out here and play me a match this weekend for $1000. I was in Vancouver in January, and clobbered him 10 -1 in games. It's his turn to come here. Or he can come to a 4-star USATT Tournament, and I'll play him a match for $1000. Offer is good until the USA Nationals in December, but he has to agree to it by this weekend. I'm almost 46, I'm out of shape, he should have no problem with me, right? :)

Then you admit that you used a trip paid for by the USATT to engage in illegal betting activities. Here you are again.

I propose we hold a different type of contest. Using the soon to be updated rating conversion chart, I propose we see who has the higher rating in one year. If my Canadian rating, converted to American, at the end of one year, is higher than yours, you have to admit on camera in a tape forwarded to me that you purposefully took an all expenses paid trip by the USATT to play Rick Anderson in Vancouver. You will then state that I am better than you once and for all.
If your rating is higher than mine, I will go on camera and state that Larry Hodges is a better player than myself and I will lie that I making up this story about you.

Nope, because I'm no longer training, and you are, and all you need is one good tournament. How about if you have one year to top my best rating?

But you are starting out with an advantage.  My rating converted into American is lower than yours. Hence you should take this and win, right?

Hola Larry,

"I don't expect to be at the club this weekend. Too much USATT work. Besides, considering all the snide comments you make about me, why would you want to play me?

-Larry Hodges"

Oh damn. Now I understand why you treated me so cold over the phone. I don't know what snide means but whatever comments I made about you whether good or bad were not personal. It would be an honor for me to meet you.

Micky

No, because you have a whole year to go up, while I won't since I'm no longer in training.


So when you are faced with a more accurate assessment of who is better, you decline? I'm sure you would rather play one point winner takes all than expand it over the period of one year. If you are that much better, you should maintain a higher rating than myself, particularly considering you play more tournaments on average than I do. You are also basically admitting that in one year, my rating will be vastly superior to your own. Why do you concede defeat so readily.

Larry Hodges refuses to enter a contest unless he thinks he has a clear advantage. Larry would never play Jim Butler for $1000. Based on the current ratings, I have given him a head start. Surely, within one year, Larry Hodges will maintain a higher rating than myself. He has been bragging about how much better he is than me for years. Why suddenly the cold feet? If he is that much better, he should maintain a higher rating. Since he has access to more tournaments and plays more matches, this is also a clear advantage for him.

> One of my worst losses, and we get to see a few of my worst points, near the end of the match where I'm exhausted and practically standing straight up

 

Knowing how tired you were, down 3 match points at 10-7, and after watching this video -- what could you have done tactically to improve your chances to swing the outcome in your favor?

 

--Rob

 

>Oh damn. Now I understand why you treated me so cold over the phone. I don't know what snide means but whatever comments I made about you whether good or bad were not personal. It would be an honor for me to meet you.

I'm probably not going to be able to make it to the club this weekend. With the looming magazine deadline, being short-handed at USATT headquarters, too much time lost to traveling, and too much time lost posting here, I really need to spend the next few days focusing on the magazine and other USATT work. I even lost most of yesterday due to an exhibition at a local high school.

I used to be a practice partner for our junior players nearly every Sat & Sun, but I haven't been there much since August.

-Larry Hodges

>  I was trying to catch him with his backhand, as I'd done earlier a number of times,

I often question how often I should "go to the well" for points that are working and when I should both save and use things I've found that work against an opponent.

What type of metrics and adjustments do you use to determine when and how to "spring" these things on players?

--Rob

>What type of metrics and adjustments do you use to determine when and how to "spring" these things on players?

I could write a book on the subject, but ultimately it's a judgement call. You can never get it right all the time, but you can learn to be right most of the time. There are a huge number of subtle clues from your opponent if you are watching closely.

The toughest judgement call for most good tacticians is whether to keep using their best shot if it is missing, or resort to weaker shots and give up on the shot that keeps missing. Generally, against a stronger player, you need your best shots, so keep using it; against a weaker player you should be more willing to adjust and win using your "B" game.

-Larry Hodges

>Are you claiming that in one year you will be older and slower to the point that you cannot defeat me?

No. I have no idea if I'll be playing a year from now. One more time - Earth to Mark Gorse: I'm semi-retired.

What I do know is that with all the garbage you post about me, you and your game mean absolutely zero to me. I've played you, I beat you easily, and unless you want to challenge me for large money in the near future while I'm still active, I have no interest in you or your game, period.

As to a year from now, why don't you gloat about your great play a year from now ... a year from now, WHEN YOU'VE ACTUALLY DONE IT?

(Of course, a year from now, you'll want another year, and then another year, and then another year, etc.) Would you like to compare your level now with my level at your age? I believe I had reached 18th in the U.S. (U.S. citizens) by the time I was your age.

I guess now that you are rated higher than 10-time U.S. Champion Richard Miles (now about 80 years old), you can gloat about that? Rather than chase after semi-retired players, if you want to show you can be a better player than I ever was, then do just that, and top my 2292 rating (which would translate to a much higher ranking now, due to rating inflation since then). Because I have no interest in going back into training and tournaments just to play along with your silly ratings challenge.

>By refusing to accept my ratings contest, you are admitting that your rating will be significantly lower than mine in one year.

You've just flunked logic 101. Of course, using your illogical logic, you've just admitted that you can't beat me in a challenge match.

Earth to Mark Gorse: You refused to take the challenge match, not I.

>You will be rated lower than me as well.

It's always easier to brag about things that haven't happened yet. By the way, when are you going to congratulate me on the Nobel Prize I'm going to win? :)

>What are you going to brag about then?

I won't care a bit about you or your game, as already explained. Rather than brag about something you haven't done, why don't you first actually reach the level you are already bragging about? I'm sure there will be someone around that cares.

>Are you still going to challenge me? It's easy to come and challenge someone rated lower than you.

Just as it is easy for you to sit behind your keyboard in Vancouver and bad mouth others. It is your continuous bad-mouthing of me and others that led me to challenge you.

>Why don't you challenge me when I am 300 points higher than you? When that happens, I will play you for $1000. When I am 2400 American, will you play me for $1000?

When I'm 2800, will you challenge me for $1000?

-Larry Hodges

>I think a rating like that would be difficult to achieve for someone that hasn't started with competent professional training by the age of 10 to 12.

For every person who reaches that level, there are dozens who brag that they will. It's easier to brag about future things that haven't happened yet then to actually do it. The sheer number of players over the years who have made claims like this and then disappeared into obscurity is rather mind-boggling. People foolishly think that going from lower levels to a moderately high level is no different than going from a moderate level to advanced level. It gets exponentially harder. They are almost always in for a rude surprise. Doesn't mean the player can't do it, but it sure would be a lot nicer if they'd actually do it before bragging about it!

Actually, it'd be a LOT nicer if the person in question simply stopped ripping into others from behind his keyboard up in Vancouver. Then we could go back to actual table tennis discussions.

-Larry Hodges

>Why don't you go back to being semi-retired and gloat about beating 1600 players with clipboards. Along the way you can gloat about kicking GQ reporters asses and dreaming about smoking people with a frozen fish.

And you'll continue to hide behind your keyboard in Vancouver and lash out as others, like the above. How predictable. You must be very proud.

-Larry Hodges

I'll buy one if you write it.
bes

Geologically speaking, I expect the book to be out near the time Mark makes 2400.

 

--Rob

>Larry, you have an excuse for everything. I am not surprised that you would try and play me right now, this moment. You have taken a look at my progress and figured this would be your last chance.

LOL!

>This is why you were blasted by GQ publicly. You take every opportunity to humiliate your opponents. And you got massacred. You flew across the continent using USATT funds to try and humiliate Rick Anderson.

LOL! Four misleading statements in a row!

>Don't worry, Mr Hodges, I guarantee you we will meet at a real tournament, one day.

Earth to Mark Gorse: I'm semi-retired. Why don't you challenge Richard Bergmann? (Oh darn, he's retired, and dead, so he must be afraid of you!)

As to meeting in a tournament, how? You are glued to your computer and can't bring yourself to leave your Vancouver region. I've played USATT tournaments in at least 43 U.S. states, as well as a number in Canada. How about you?

>I recommend you train until then.

Why would I possibly do anything because you recommend it? I find it more fulfilling to help others with their games, to produce a nice magazine, to organize table tennis programs, etc. If you want to spend your life chasing me, I feel very sorry for you. I think there are more fulfilling things one can do in table tennis, and I've chosen to do those things. You haven't.

What's hilarious is you keep attacking me for your claim that I won't take challenges from you a year from now. Again, you love to attack me for things that haven't even happened! If I'm still playing a year from now, I expect I'll take your challenge, but you won't. Wait and see. (If you had confidence you will beat me a year from now, you should be able to wait. If you don't have confidence you can, then you better get your bragging out of the way now, since you won't be able to then! And that's the route you've chosen!)

>A former top 18 ranked American should never lose to me, right? :)

Gee, Richard Miles is a 10-time U.S. Champion and a former U.S. #1, and he'd probably lose to you. I'm sure that would mean a lot to you, but it would mean nothing to anyone else. Perhaps you need to recheck your logic?

Don't you think it is kind of pathetic that you are spending so much time trying to reach the level of someone who hasn't trained in years, who's nearly 46 and out of shape? I'm ready to play you (you aren't), but you don't see how meaningless it is. If I were to beat, say, Sean O'Neill, would that mean anything other than he is no longer in top shape? (It'd still be a nice win for me, but wouldn't change what his level is, or was, when he was training.)

If you weren't so obnoxious toward others, I'd look forward to seeing how much you improve this next year, while quietly smiling to myself as you discover how much more difficult it is to improve at that level. Since you are obnoxious toward others, you and your playing level mean nothing to me.

-Larry Hodges

"By the way, the delay when I was looking back was because of some sort of commotion on a table behind me. "

Sounds like frank heller must have been at that tournament.