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Schulte Coach
Guest
Our take
This is a frank post-tournament debrief from Craig Brown of the Schulte Coach channel, who finished third at the Klaipėda Open 2026 nine-ball event in Lithuania, joined by his friend Daniel Kandi, who also travelled over to commentate on the event and help promote it.
The most useful part, especially for club players, is how candid Craig is about his preparation. He reached the event with barely one proper practice day and three sparring sets behind him, and he openly says his form came and went. Even so, he settled into the main event and strung together some genuinely good spells of pool. It is a good reminder that a podium can come from managing an imperfect game well, rather than playing at your best all weekend.
The final standings were Jokūbas Silantjevas as champion, Kęstutis Žadeikis as runner-up and Craig in third. The emergence of strong Lithuanian players on the nine-ball scene is worth keeping an eye on.
As you watch, notice what a player who teaches the game takes from his own performance: he does not dwell on missed balls, but on consistency and on what a little more preparation might unlock. Craig also credits the BlackBall Billiard Club in Klaipėda for its table conditions and organisation. Have you played a tournament there, or seen any of these players? Let us know below.
