Abstract des Autors

The performance of professional pocket billard players in a nine-ball tournament was examined for evidence of "momentum". There was e significantly greater likelihood of winning a best-of-21 match after having won the first, or first and second, games in the match, statistically adjusted for having won one ot two games. And there was a significantly increased probability of winning a game by running all balls after having won by running all balls in the previous game. The results support the concept of momentum and are discussed in the context of Gilovich's et al. (1985) failure to find statistical evidence for the "hot hand" in basketball shooting, and other failures to find clear supporting evidence for momentum in performance. Verf.-Referat